An Old Drug, Transformed by Nanotechnology

Contact: Bess Andrews
elizabeth.andrews@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-3110
Children's Hospital Boston

An Old Drug, Transformed by Nanotechnology

Caption: A Lodamin nanoparticle with TNP-470 (the drug's active ingredient) at the core, protected by two short polymers (PEG and PLA) that allow TNP-470 to be absorbed intact when taken orally. Once the nanoparticles (known as polymeric micelles) reach the tumor, they react with water and break down, slowly releasing the drug. Lodamin appears to retain TNP-470's potency and broad spectrum of anti-angiogenic activity, but with no detectable neurotoxicity and greatly enhanced oral availability.

Credit: Kristin Johnson, Vascular Biology Program, Children's Hospital Boston

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