Imagine treating cancerous tumors by filling tiny sponges with drugs, attaching special chemical “linkers” that bond to the surface of tumor cells, and then injecting these sponges into the body. That’s the idea behind a nanosponge delivery system developed by Eva Harth, assistant professor of chemistry at Vanderbilt. “Effective targeted drug-delivery systems have been a dream for a long time now, but it has been largely frustrated by the complex chemistry involved,” says Harth. “We have taken a significant step toward overcoming these obstacles.”

When loaded with an anticancer drug, the delivery system is three to five times more effective at reducing tumor growth than direct injection, reports a paper published in the June 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

From Vanderbilt Magazine. Click here for the rest of the story, http://www.vanderbilt.edu/magazines/vanderbilt-magazine/2010/08/nanosponge-drug/

Image courtesy of Eva Harth Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/chemistry/groups/harth/