Development of "large but small" caged carriers using nanoparticles as building blocks

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14468
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Reaction engineering/Process system
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Seiichi 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 助教 (40723284)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ナノ粒子 / アッセンブリ / ビルディングブロック / DDS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While nanoparticles with the diameter of ca. 100 nm are preferable for efficient tumor accumulation, their diameter needs to be single nm for renal clearance. For overcoming this size dilemma, in this study, we developed nanoparticle assembly with the diameter of ca. 100 nm using gold and semiconducting polymer fluorescent nanoparticles as building blocks. The formed assemblies were disassembled in response to tumor environment, which is expected to enable efficient renal clearance. By encapsulating photosensitizers, their tumor-specific activation of photo- and antitumor effect was demonstrated.

Free Research Field

医用化学工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

非生分解性ナノ粒子の腫瘍への集積と対外への排泄の両立は、医療分野での応用において共通した課題であった。本研究で開発された手法はビルディングブロックの粒子の種類によらず適用可能であると考えられるため、機能性ナノ粒子を画像診断や薬物送達などに応用していく上で、汎用的なプラットフォームとして発展していくことが今後期待される。