For more information contact:
Megan McDevitt, IBB
Contact Megan McDevitt megan.mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu
404-385-7001
Non-invasive tracking of nanocarrier distribution in tumors
Atlanta (July 3, 2008) — Nanocarrier-mediated chemotherapy has great promise in the treatment of cancer due to its ability to prolong the blood plasma half-life of the encapsulated chemotherapeutic and to selectively accumulate in tumors. However, in spite of important advances in the development of nano-chemotherapeutics, systemic chemotherapy is not the treatment of choice for malignant brain tumors, primarily due to the toxicity caused to non-tumor tissue. Therefore, novel techniques are required to understand and improve the drug availability at the tumor site while reducing harmful side effects. Nano-chemotherapeutics are able to accumulate at the tumor lesion due to the prolonged circulation of the nanocarrier and presence of abnormal leaky vasculature at the tumor site via the enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR).
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http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/lab/34875
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