A Dutch researcher has developed biodegradable nanoparticles which may be used to encapsulate and deliver fat-soluble anticancer drugs.

The nanoparticles consist of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains which are attached to recently developed components: lactic acid derivatives of polymethacrylamides. These new chains possess the unique combined property of biodegradability and heat sensitivity. By simply heating up an aqueous polymer solution, compact spherical nanoparticles smaller than 100 nanometres are spontaneously formed. The properties and life span of Rijcken's so-called ' stabilised micelles' can be completely controlled by changing the components.

Preliminary experiments have shown that the nanoparticles accumulated to a larger extent in mice tumors in and the encapsulated drugs were only released upon after the lactic acid groups in the polymer had been broken down.

Source: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research