Drug delivery system and method for targeting cancer stem cells
AssigneeUniversity of South Carolina
InventorEsmaiel Jabbari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for targeting specific cancer cell subpopulations present in tumor tissue are described. A system can include a first component for specifically targeting cancer stem cells and a second component for specifically targeting differentiated cancer cells. A system can include a drug conjugated to small (e.g., 5-20 nm) nanoparticles, e.g., polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane nanoparticles. The small nanoparticles can be preferentially taken up by cancer stem cells via macropinocytosis and can release a toxic payload within the cancer stem cells without triggering the efflux pump. A system can include a second component that targets differentiated cancer cells, e.g., a free drug or a drug encapsulated in nanoparticles.
Claims6
A drug delivery system comprising:
- a first component for targeting cancer stem cells, the first component comprising a first biologically active agent that directly or indirectly affects the cancer stem cells conjugated to a first nanoparticle, the first nanoparticle having a size of from 5 nanometers to 20 nanometers;
- and a second component for targeting differentiated cancer cells, the second component comprising a second biologically active agent that directly or indirectly affects the differentiated cancer cells, wherein the second biologically active agent is encapsulated in or conjugated to a second nanoparticle having a size of from about 100 nm to about 200 nm, is in the form of a free drug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.