By Cornelius B
“Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the ‘mucus barrier,’ engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus—regarded by many as nearly impenetrable—and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research noted in a presentation scheduled for the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.”
The process is inexpensive – a polymer coating, polyethylene glycol, is applied to drug carrying nanoparticles – and can also length the duration of drug treatment. The scientists examined certain viruses (which can penetrate the mucus barrier) to discover the slippery coating. The work allows drugs to be delivered to specific tissue anywhere in the body. This could potentially be effective in treating cystic fibrosis.
Is nano technology is the new wave of pharmaceuticals?
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=222&content_id=WPCP_010552&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1
http://portal.acs.org/portal/binfetch/consumption?fileUrl=/stellent/groups/web/documents/article/%7Eexport/WPCP_010552%7E1%7EHTML_DC_TEMPLATE%7ESNIPPET_LAYOUT/31509-1.jpg
By: Linda Bohn on October 21, 2008 