Fabrication of DDS carriers having Targeting and Environmental Recognition Abilities

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K05264
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28030:Nanomaterials-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Masahiro 名古屋工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50357836)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ドラックデリバリーシステム / ターゲット認識能 / 環境認識能 / ペプチド脂質 / ベシクル / ミネラリゼーション / 炭酸カルシウム / マグネタイト

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By coating the surface of the vesicle with CaCO3 we aimed fabricate DDS carriers whose structure were stabilized under physiological conditions, and that released drugs under specific conditions, especially in environments near cancer tissues. Furthermore, it was shown that functional groups that act as receptors can be easily introduced to the surface of the CaCO3-coated vesicles under mild conditions. Effective drug delivery to a gel that mimics cancer tissue was confirmed through interaction with the introduced receptor and dissolution of the CaCO3 shell under weakly acidic conditions. The obtained CaCO3-coated vesicles in this study are shown to have the potential to satisfy the following three conditions as DDS carriers for cancer chemotherapy. 1) It is within the particle size range for EPR effect expression, 2) It can efficiently release drugs in a weakly acidic environment near cancer tissue, and 3) It can specifically recognize cancer cells.

Free Research Field

高分子科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

免疫チェックポイント阻害剤や分子標的薬の開発により、癌の化学療法は目覚ましい発展を遂げている。しかしながら、これら新薬の薬価は非常に高額であり、保険財政を著しく逼迫させることが予想される。一方において、これまでに多くの抗癌剤が開発されてきたが、十分な薬効を示すものの、強すぎる副作用のために、治療薬として断念されてきた安価な抗癌剤も多く存在する。本研究では、癌の化学療法に用いるDDS担体として、癌細胞近傍の弱酸性条件下でのみ崩壊するCaCO3被覆ベシクルを薬物担持担体の基本構成単位とし、その表面に、種々の癌細胞を認識するフラグメントを任意に導入可能な、汎用性のある担体の構築を目的とした。