Thayumanavan's research featured in 'Chemistry World'

A recent article in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Chemistry World” column featured research by Chemistry professor Sankaran “Thai” Thayumanavan and colleagues on a new three-part polymer and its pharmaceutical applications.

The polymer that can respond on three different levels to temperature, pH and a disulfide chemical solvent to potentially provide unprecedented flexibility when delivering encapsulated drugs into the body for release when and where they are needed.

In particular, the new method exploits two specific features of cancer cells, their low pH levels and high glutathione content, to perhaps provide a highly selective in anti-cancer treatment, Thayumanavan says. Temperature sensitivity is more general. But by building it into the nanopolymer chains as a third element for controlling disassembly, odds go up for releasing the micelle or encapsulated drug at the optimum time and place, he adds.

“For better targeting in drug delivery, it is desirable that there is cooperation between multiple stimuli,” Thayumanavan told “Chemistry World.” Simpler, single-trigger drug delivery systems may “leak” when the polymer encapsulating them runs into the triggering condition. Locking the polymeric micelle with three keys, so to speak, could be a giant step in the direction of a safer, more secure drug delivery vehicle, he adds. A British polymer scientist asked to comment on the new development says that given high glutathione concentrations in some cancer cells, this work holds great promise for developing a new class of “smart” drug delivery systems.”

May 19, 2009.

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