Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

7 breast cancer breakthroughs you need to know

October 5, 2017 By Danielle Kirsh

5. Nanoparticles target breast cancer that moved to bones

NanoBoneMetastaticBC

Seeking new treatments for metastatic breast cancer, researchers have designed nanoparticles (shown in magenta) that carry chemotherapy and are targeted directly to tumors that have spread to bone. The strategy, developed in mouse studies at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, lets chemotherapy penetrate the protective environment of bone and minimizes toxic side effects. [Image from Washington University School of Medicine]

Nanoparticles loaded with chemotherapy can help make treatment more effective and less toxic, according to a new study.

When breast cancer spreads to the bones, chemotherapy no longer works because the bone acts as a shield to the tumor. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have created a nanoparticle therapy that can deliver chemotherapy directly to tumor cells in the bone.

The scientists tested the nanoparticle method in mice that were implanted with human breast cancer and exposed to circulating cancer cells that end up in the bones. The results showed that the treatment killed tumor cells and reduced bone destruction and healthy cells were safe from side effects.

Breast cancer cells that spread to bones carry sticky molecules on their surface, according to the researchers. The molecules help it stick to the bone and sit on the surface of the cells that are responsible for osteoclasts.

“In healthy bones, osteoclasts chew away old, worn out bone, and osteoblasts come in and build new bone,” Katherine N. Weilbaecher, senior author on the study, said in a press release. “But in cancer that spreads to bone, tumors take over osteoclasts and essentially dig holes in the bone to make more room for the tumor to grow.”

The same molecule that sticks to the bones was also found in high levels on breast tumor surfaces that spread to bones. The molecule, called integrin αvβ3, was not on the surface of the original breast tumors or tumors that spread to other organs.

The research team designed a nanoparticle that uses the bone-adhesion molecules and a form of the cancer drug docetaxel to create a treatment that could penetrate the protective bone matrix. The delivery method keeps the chemotherapy drug inside the nanoparticles until the adhesion molecules come into contact with the tumor cell. The nanoparticle and the cell surface are fused together and the drug is delivered directly to the cancer cell.

“When we gave these nanoparticles to mice that had metastases, the treatment dramatically reduced the bone tumors,” Weilbaecher said. “There was less bone destruction, fewer fractures, less tumor. The straight chemo didn’t work very well, even at much higher doses, and it caused problems with liver function and other toxic side effects, which is our experience with patients. But if we can deliver the chemo directly into the tumor cells with these nanoparticles that are using the same adhesive molecules that the cancer cell uses, then we are killing the tumor and sparing healthy cells.”

Next >>

You may also like:

  • neon brain
    7 ways neurostimulation could make our lives better
  • bandaged arm
    10 innovative diagnostic tests to combat diseases
  • visual impairment breakthroughs
    6 visual impairment breakthroughs you need to know
  • cardiology breakthroughs
    9 cardiology breakthroughs you need to know
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Related Articles Read More >

Clippard NIV Series media isolation valves
Clippard releases new series of isolation valves
A phlebotomist draws blood from a patient in her home
How to leverage technology to drive diversity in clinical studies
A lab workers uses the BD Max molecular diagnostic system
BD and CerTest Biotec team up on molecular monkeypox diagnostic test
Masimo CEO Joe Kiani
Masimo shareholders vote ‘no’ on executive pay

DeviceTalks Weekly.

June 24, 2022
How innovative design, commercial strategy is building Cala Trio’s bioelectronic medicine market
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech