Targeted radioactivity against cancer
Radiation therapy is an established treatment for cancer but with significant side effects as it also kills normal cells. A delivery of radioactive material exclusively to cancer cells would considerably eliminate the associated toxicity. Nanomaterials would be suitable candidates for this approach given their small size and capacity for surface functionalisation, endowing them with the ability to enter practically any cell. The scope of the EU-funded RADDEL (Nanocapsules for targeted delivery of radioactivity) project was to design and synthesise nanomaterials that contain radioactive materials for biomedical applications. The idea was to fill carbon nanotubes with specific radionuclides and attach biomolecules on the external walls for targeting purposes. This biofunctionalisation would ensure biocompatibility while limiting the toxicity of the carbon nanotubes. During the optimisation process, researchers employed electron microscopy and spectroscopy to extensively characterise the nanoconstructs during all the different stages. They also developed a specific Monte Carlo simulation code to perform dosimetry calculations of the prepared constructs. The addition of functional moieties entailed the use of a library of carbohydrates, peptides and antibodies as well as mild procedures for covalently anchoring them to the external wall. Such encapsulated carbon nanotubes effectively targeted only cancer cells as well as specific cellular organelles. A remarkable example was the derivatisation of the nanotubes with a monoclonal antibody specific for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is a good target as it is overexpressed by several cancer cells. Overall, the activities of the RADDEL project contributed significantly to the fast-evolving field of nanomaterials in biomedical applications. The proposed approach offers an innovative solution for diagnosis and tailored cancer therapy.
Keywords
Nanomaterials, radioactivity, cancer, RADDEL, EGFR
