PLGA-PEG-Mal from PolySciTech used in development of breast-cancer targeting nanoparticle system.

Despite advances in therapies certain types of breast cancers known as triple-negative breast cancers remain difficult to treat due to their invasive nature and lack of specific target. Recently, researchers at University of Maryland, Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Mayo Clinic Arizona used PLGA-PEG-maleimide (AI053), mPEG-PLGA (AK010), and PLGA-rhodamine (AV011) from PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) to develop a series of targeted nanoparticles and tested these for efficacy against triple-negative breast cancer. This research holds promise to improve therapies against breast and other cancers. Read more: Dancy, Jimena G., Aniket S. Wadajkar, Nina P. Connolly, Rebeca Galisteo, Heather M. Ames, Sen Peng, Nhan L. Tran et al. "Decreased nonspecific adhesivity, receptor-targeted therapeutic nanoparticles for primary and metastatic breast cancer." Science Advances 6, no. 3 (2020): eaax3931. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/advances/6/3/eaax3931.full.pdf

“Abstract: Development of effective tumor cell–targeted nanodrug formulations has been quite challenging, as many nanocarriers and targeting moieties exhibit nonspecific binding to cellular, extracellular, and intravascular components. We have developed a therapeutic nanoparticle formulation approach that balances cell surface receptor-specific binding affinity while maintaining minimal interactions with blood and tumor tissue components (termed “DART” nanoparticles), thereby improving blood circulation time, biodistribution, and tumor cell–specific uptake. Here, we report that paclitaxel (PTX)–DART nanoparticles directed to the cell surface receptor fibroblast growth factor–inducible 14 (Fn14) outperformed both the corresponding PTX-loaded, nontargeted nanoparticles and Abraxane, an FDA-approved PTX nanoformulation, in both a primary triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) model and an intracranial model reflecting TNBC growth following metastatic dissemination to the brain. These results provide new insights into methods for effective development of therapeutic nanoparticles as well as support the continued development of the DART platform for primary and metastatic tumors.”

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