Researchers at National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) have successfully developed a target drug delivery system using folate-conjugated pluronic F127/chitosan core-shell nanoparticles to deliver doxorubicin (DOX) to target cancer cells focusing on breast cancer. 

“DOX is one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment including breast cancer. However, DOX is also considered a poor soluble drug that is toxic to healthy tissues” said Dr. Nuttaporn Pimpha, a NANOTEC researcher at Hybrid Nanostructure and Nanocomposite. “By using core-shell nanoparticles from folate-conjugated pluronic F127/chitosan we were able to develop a delivery vector that has greater targeting ability, chemical stability and lower cytotoxicity”. 

As in many developing countries, cancer in Thailand is becoming a significant health problem. Cervix and breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Thai women. The only commercial DOX – encapsulated liposome available is Doxil. However, Doxil has a short half-life in microcirculation and is unstable in the blood stream. Hence there is a need to find a more controlled and stable DOX carrier system. 

The researchers reported their work in a paper published by the Journal of Nanomaterials.