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A new type of nanoparticle can deliver chemotherapy directly and efficiently to individual cells, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
These nanoparticles, known as connectosomes, are equipped with gap junctions—a pathway that allows for the rapid movement of molecules between 2 cells.
The gap junctions allow the connectosomes to create a direct channel to deliver drugs to each individual cell.
“Gap junctions are the cells’ mechanism for sharing small molecules between neighboring cells,” said study author Jeanne Stachowiak, PhD, of The University of Texas at Austin.
“We believed that there must be a way to utilize them for better drug delivery. The big challenge was in making the materials efficiently and showing that the drugs are delivered through the gap junctions and not some other component.”
To create the connectosomes, the researchers used a chemical process to derive liposomes from donor cells that were engineered to over-produce gap junctions, which are made of proteins.
The team then loaded the connectosomes with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.
In in vitro tests with human cells, the researchers found that doxorubicin delivered through connectosomes was 10 times as efficient at killing cancer cells as freely delivered doxorubicin.
Connectosomes were also 100 to 100,000 times as efficient as conventional nanoparticles in delivering doxorubicin, because a drug can diffuse more efficiently through a gap junction than across the oily lipid membrane.
“Connectosomes could open doors for the improved utilization of nanoparticles to deliver other types of therapies,” said Avinash Gadok, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin.
“A huge advantage of nanoparticles is that they can target cells, which helps protect off-target tissues.”
Now, the researchers are investigating whether connectosomes can biochemically target tumor cells and whether they could be useful in inhibiting the migration of tumor cells.
Gap junctions are known to suppress cell migration, creating the potential for connectosomes to help control the movement of tumor cells out of the tumor and into the bloodstream.
“We would like to see whether this approach could delay metastasis while treating the tumor,” Dr Stachowiak said.
“It would be nice to have a multi-pronged approach where you have a particle that slows down metastasis, rapidly delivers drugs, and turns off expression of genes that are promoting the migration of tumor cells.” 
Image from PNAS
A new type of nanoparticle can deliver chemotherapy directly and efficiently to individual cells, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
These nanoparticles, known as connectosomes, are equipped with gap junctions—a pathway that allows for the rapid movement of molecules between 2 cells.
The gap junctions allow the connectosomes to create a direct channel to deliver drugs to each individual cell.
“Gap junctions are the cells’ mechanism for sharing small molecules between neighboring cells,” said study author Jeanne Stachowiak, PhD, of The University of Texas at Austin.
“We believed that there must be a way to utilize them for better drug delivery. The big challenge was in making the materials efficiently and showing that the drugs are delivered through the gap junctions and not some other component.”
To create the connectosomes, the researchers used a chemical process to derive liposomes from donor cells that were engineered to over-produce gap junctions, which are made of proteins.
The team then loaded the connectosomes with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.
In in vitro tests with human cells, the researchers found that doxorubicin delivered through connectosomes was 10 times as efficient at killing cancer cells as freely delivered doxorubicin.
Connectosomes were also 100 to 100,000 times as efficient as conventional nanoparticles in delivering doxorubicin, because a drug can diffuse more efficiently through a gap junction than across the oily lipid membrane.
“Connectosomes could open doors for the improved utilization of nanoparticles to deliver other types of therapies,” said Avinash Gadok, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin.
“A huge advantage of nanoparticles is that they can target cells, which helps protect off-target tissues.”
Now, the researchers are investigating whether connectosomes can biochemically target tumor cells and whether they could be useful in inhibiting the migration of tumor cells.
Gap junctions are known to suppress cell migration, creating the potential for connectosomes to help control the movement of tumor cells out of the tumor and into the bloodstream.
“We would like to see whether this approach could delay metastasis while treating the tumor,” Dr Stachowiak said.
“It would be nice to have a multi-pronged approach where you have a particle that slows down metastasis, rapidly delivers drugs, and turns off expression of genes that are promoting the migration of tumor cells.”
Image from PNAS
A new type of nanoparticle can deliver chemotherapy directly and efficiently to individual cells, according to research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
These nanoparticles, known as connectosomes, are equipped with gap junctions—a pathway that allows for the rapid movement of molecules between 2 cells.
The gap junctions allow the connectosomes to create a direct channel to deliver drugs to each individual cell.
“Gap junctions are the cells’ mechanism for sharing small molecules between neighboring cells,” said study author Jeanne Stachowiak, PhD, of The University of Texas at Austin.
“We believed that there must be a way to utilize them for better drug delivery. The big challenge was in making the materials efficiently and showing that the drugs are delivered through the gap junctions and not some other component.”
To create the connectosomes, the researchers used a chemical process to derive liposomes from donor cells that were engineered to over-produce gap junctions, which are made of proteins.
The team then loaded the connectosomes with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.
In in vitro tests with human cells, the researchers found that doxorubicin delivered through connectosomes was 10 times as efficient at killing cancer cells as freely delivered doxorubicin.
Connectosomes were also 100 to 100,000 times as efficient as conventional nanoparticles in delivering doxorubicin, because a drug can diffuse more efficiently through a gap junction than across the oily lipid membrane.
“Connectosomes could open doors for the improved utilization of nanoparticles to deliver other types of therapies,” said Avinash Gadok, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin.
“A huge advantage of nanoparticles is that they can target cells, which helps protect off-target tissues.”
Now, the researchers are investigating whether connectosomes can biochemically target tumor cells and whether they could be useful in inhibiting the migration of tumor cells.
Gap junctions are known to suppress cell migration, creating the potential for connectosomes to help control the movement of tumor cells out of the tumor and into the bloodstream.
“We would like to see whether this approach could delay metastasis while treating the tumor,” Dr Stachowiak said.
“It would be nice to have a multi-pronged approach where you have a particle that slows down metastasis, rapidly delivers drugs, and turns off expression of genes that are promoting the migration of tumor cells.”