Breakthrough in Nanomedicine Delivery System for Targeted Treatment of Chemotherapy Drugs

Researchers from Lanzhou City University have developed an intelligent nanomedicine delivery system using natural polymers, providing an effective solution for reducing the toxic side effects of chemotherapy drugs. The new system, based on feather keratin and tea polyphenols, has shown excellent storage stability and pH and reduction dual-responsive properties, making it suitable for targeted treatment of chemotherapy drugs. This innovation offers a promising approach to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy while minimizing its toxic effects on healthy tissues.

Key Takeaways:

• The intelligent nanomedicine delivery system uses natural polymers, specifically feather keratin and tea polyphenols, as raw materials to prepare nanoparticles with biocompatibility, colloidal stability, and stimulus-responsive drug release properties.
• The particle size and surface zeta potential of the nanoparticles are around 100 nm and -20.6 mV, respectively, ensuring good storage stability.
• The nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin have a nanoscale particle size and exhibit pH and reduction dual stimuli-responsive properties, enabling sensitive release of the drug within the unique tumor microenvironment.
• The research concluded that the use of tea polyphenols as a component of the nanoparticles effectively improves their cycling stability in the body and exhibits a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on liver cancer cell HepG2.
• This study provides ideas for better utilization of tea polyphenols and demonstrates the potential of natural polymers as a novel carrier for targeted drug delivery.

Statistics:

• The particle size of the nanoparticles is around 100 nm.
• The surface zeta potential of the nanoparticles is -20.6 mV.
• The release of doxorubicin from the nanoparticles is pH and reduction dual stimuli-responsive.
• The cycling stability of tea polyphenols is improved by 100% using the feather keratin-tea polyphenol nanoparticles.
• The nanoparticles exhibit an inhibitory effect on liver cancer cell HepG2 in a dose-dependent manner.

Sources:

• Feather keratin-tea polyphenol nanoparticles with pH and reduction dually responsive for tumor-targeting DOX transmit. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025;316:144314.
• The International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, published by Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• HuiFang Zhang, School of Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou City University, Lanzhou 730070, People's Republic of China.
• Xiaofang Ma, Tao Li, Daqian Xu, Huijie Lu, Ruiyao Zhao, Han Han and Gaocheng Xu, co-authors of the study.