Nanotechnology Applications In Medicine

#Scientists in #Sweden created a tiny #DNA-based #nanorobot that can kill #cancer #cells with incredible precision—only releasing its "lethal #weapon" in the #acidic environment surrounding tumors, while leaving #healthy #cells untouched. This #breakthrough could one day lead to cancer #treatments with fewer side effects compared to traditional #therapies. The #nanorobot, developed at the Karolinska Institutet, uses a #technology called #DNA #origami, which folds DNA into specific shapes at the #nanoscale. Inside the structure, #researchers hid six cancer-killing #peptides arranged in a hexagon. These #peptides activate only when they detect a drop in pH, which is common in the #microenvironment of solid tumors. At the normal #pH level of healthy tissue (around 7.4), the weapon stays hidden. But when the pH drops to about 6.5—typical of #tumors—the peptides are exposed and destroy nearby cancer cells. When tested in #mice with #breast #cancer, the #nanorobot reduced tumor growth by 70% compared to mice that received an inactive version. Importantly, it did so without damaging healthy tissue. The #researchers now aim to improve the robot’s precision by adding elements that can bind specifically to certain cancer types, and to better understand potential side effects before moving to #human #trials. Research paper : https://lnkd.in/gvzUu4hf #cancer #cancerresearch #science #health #healthcare #medicine #education

A groundbreaking study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has introduced nanorobots capable of selectively killing cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. These nanorobots contain a "hidden weapon" inside a nanostructure that is activated specifically within the tumor microenvironment, offering a promising method for targeted cancer treatment. The research, published in Nature Nanotechnology, could represent a significant step forward in cancer therapy. Here's how it works. The nanorobots are designed using a DNA origami technique that allows researchers to build intricate structures at the nanoscale. These structures hold a peptide weapon, which, under normal circumstances, would cause indiscriminate cell death. However, the researchers have cleverly engineered a "kill switch" that only triggers the weapon when the surrounding environment has an acidic pH—typical of cancerous tissues. In lab tests, they showed that at a normal pH of 7.4, the nanostructure remained harmless, but once exposed to a lower pH, around 6.5 (common in tumors), the weapon was activated, killing cancer cells. The researchers tested the nanorobot on mice with breast cancer, leading to a remarkable 70% reduction in tumor growth compared to untreated controls. #NanoRobots #KillCancerCells #RMScienceTechInvest https://lnkd.in/dcE_9eSU

Scientists Successfully Reverse Parkinson's Using a New Nanoparticle System Scientists have made a promising advance in Parkinson’s disease research by using nanoparticles to repair brain damage caused by the condition. Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions worldwide, is driven by the buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. This accumulation damages dopamine-producing neurons, leading to the characteristic motor issues associated with the disease. The new technique uses gold nanoparticles coated with antibodies and peptides specifically engineered to seek out and dissolve these toxic protein clumps. In recent experiments, this method was tested successfully on mice, raising hopes for future applications in humans. Here’s how it works: the nanoparticles are directed to the brain where they attach to affected dopamine neurons. A beam of near-infrared light, applied externally through the skull, activates the particles, converting light energy into heat. This mild heating triggers natural cell repair mechanisms and releases therapeutic peptides that break down harmful protein tangles. As a result, damaged neurons begin to recover and restore normal dopamine production. Unlike existing treatments that rely on dopamine-enhancing drugs—often with significant side effects—this approach addresses the underlying cause of the disease. It revives the brain’s own dopamine production capability without the need for ongoing medication. Though the treatment is still in the experimental stage, limited to mice and lab-grown cells, the results have been remarkable. Mice showed notable recovery from Parkinson’s-like symptoms with no apparent side effects. The system is also non-invasive after initial delivery, thanks to its wireless activation by light. While human trials are still on the horizon, this proof-of-concept offers a hopeful glimpse into a future with more effective and less invasive treatment options for Parkinson’s.

In an advancement in cancer research, a team led by Assistant Professor Balaji Panchapakesan at the University of Delaware has engineered an approach to oncological therapy called nano-bombs. This technology targets cancer cells whilst minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. 🔬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 - Nano-Engineering: Researchers utilize carbon nanotubes known for their unique thermal properties. - Targeted Therapy: These nanotubes are engineered to bind specifically to cancer cells. - Activation by Light: Upon exposure to a certain light wavelength, these nanotubes heat up rapidly, causing a micro-explosion that directly targets and destroys cancer cells. 🛡️ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 The beauty of this technology lies in its precision. The nano-bombs can differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells, ensuring that only the harmful cells are destroyed. This method promises a significant reduction in the side effects typically associated with traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. 🌟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 This innovative approach opens new avenues for treating cancer more effectively while preserving healthy cells, leading to quicker patient recovery and fewer side effects. It represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of targeted cancer therapies that offer patients not just more life, but a better quality of life. 🤔 What impact do you think such targeted treatments will have on the future of cancer therapy? Could this be the key to turning the tide against one of the biggest health challenges worldwide? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups

Many people think of proteins as having a biological function — catalyze reactions, detect pathogens, etc. At a higher level, though, proteins are programmable materials. They are an advanced form of nanotechnology, made from templates that we can read and write and understand. And because proteins are programmable, we can use them to build physical logic gates or “smart” drugs. Say you wanted to make a protein that acts as a YES gate. That is, the protein releases some cargo (like a drug or other signal) only when a specific input is received. You could build this YES gate by synthesizing a short protein (called a peptide) that has a particular sequence which is uniquely recognized by another protein, called a protease. There are many proteases found in nature. Each protease type recognizes a unique protein sequence and cleaves it, thus splitting the target in two. A YES gate, then, can be made by building a peptide that has a protease recognition site. One end of the peptide is attached to a drug. The drug is only released when exposed to the protease. An OR gate is also simple to make. Just create a peptide carrying two different protease sites in series, such that the addition of either protease will cleave the peptide and release the drug. An AND gate is more difficult. To make it, you can instead attach the drug to two different peptides, each carrying a different protease recognition site. Then, anchor the ends of these two peptides to a scaffold. In this case, the drug will only be released if BOTH proteases are added. Why am I writing about this? Because you can use these basic logic gate architectures to build all kinds of wonderful, “smart” materials and drug delivery vehicles. For a recent study, researchers built each of these logic gates, and also nested or stacked them together to build even more complex circuits (17 different logic architectures in total.) They embedded these protein logic gates onto magnetic beads, hydrogels, and even living mammalian cells. These logical proteins are genetically encoded, modular, and could in principle respond to other signals, too; not just proteases but also light, small molecules, or mechanical forces. Imagine a therapy for metastatic cancer that only releases its drug when two tumor-specific proteases, like MMP-9 and cathepsin B, are active. Or engineered immune cells that secrete cytokines only when both an infection marker and a metabolic stress signal are present. Interesting to think about. Link to article: https://lnkd.in/eQiKv_Mi

🚀 The ADC Revolution: How "Biological Missiles" Are Transforming Cancer Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are the precision-guided missiles of oncology—combining monoclonal antibodies, ultra-potent cytotoxic payloads, and smart linkers to deliver targeted destruction to cancer cells. With 15 FDA-approved ADCs and over 1,172 in development, this space is exploding—but what’s next? 🔥 Key Breakthroughs Changing the Game ➡️Breast Cancer: Enhertu (T-DXd) just secured FDA approval in 2025 after showing a 57.3% response rate (vs. 31.2% for chemo) in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer. ➡️Lung Cancer: T-DXd also shines in HER2-mutant NSCLC (38% response rate), while TROP2-targeted ADCs (like Datroway) extend survival in tough-to-treat cases. ➡️Dual-Payload ADCs: The next frontier—KH815 (TROP2 + dual payload) just entered Phase I, and 15+ others are in the pipeline, tackling resistance with two drugs in one. ⚙️ Tech Disruptions Driving Value ➡️Site-Specific Conjugation (e.g., Synaffix’s GlycoConnect™) is reducing toxicity—J&J and Boehringer just bet $1.3B on it. ➡️Beyond Chemo Payloads: STING agonists (Mersana Therapeutics), PROTAC degrades (DAC-Cullgen Inc.), and RNA disruptors (Heidelberg Pharma AG) are expanding ADC potential. ➡️Bispecific & Radioligand Hybrids: Imagine an ADC that also delivers radiation (Bayer/PeptiDream’s Ac-225 ADCs). 💡 Challenges = Investment Opportunities ❗️Manufacturing bottlenecks (auristatin shortages, 30-50% higher costs than mAbs). ❗️Toxicity management (interstitial lung disease, ocular effects). ❗️Regulatory hurdles (novel payloads add 12-18 months to the development process). 🌍 Beyond Oncology? ADCs are branching into autoimmune diseases ( Duality Biologics), chronic infections, and even brain disorders with BBB-penetrating designs (ABL Bio Inc. - ABL001). 💬 Let’s Discuss! Which ADC innovation excites you most—dual payloads, bispecifics, or non-chemo warheads? Can ADCs overcome manufacturing challenges to become first-line therapies? Which non-cancer application could be the next big market for ADCs? #biotechnology #investment #investor #drug #drugdevelopment #market #science #pharma #business #Biotech #VentureCapital #Investing #BusinessDevelopment #BD #investor _______________________________________________________________________________ 🔔 Follow for insights ♻️ Share to expand the network.

The perfect package: a path to less toxic ADCs? Last week I posted about antibody nanocages. In May the Baker lab took this technology a step further to develop a pH responsive delivery system. Could this be the next step in smart drug delivery, including for ADCs? The nanocages published in 2021 consisted of anti-Fc oligomers that assemble into defined structures on binding to an Fc domain. The octahedral and icosahedral structures have large internal cavities and could act as a targeted delivery mechanism but they are highly porous. It would be like carrying water with a bucket full of holes. To solve this researchers developed a pH dependent trimeric protein plug. At pHs above 7 the Fc domain, anti-Fc multimer and plug assemble into an octahedral structure. This design reduces the pore size from 13nm in the unplugged version to just 3nm. At a certain acidic pH the plug disassembles and leaves a porous structure. They created a variety of versions of the plug that fine tune the pH dependency to between 5.0 and 6.7. This would in theory allow targeted release in the mildly acidic tumor microenvironment or endosome, depending on the pH sensitivity of the selected plug. To act as a delivery mechanism the nanocage needs to efficiently pack and protect its cargo. The team went on to develop plugs with either positively or negatively charged interior surfaces. They demonstrated that a positively charged plug could efficiently package nucleic acid and protect it from degradation by Benzonase but not RNAse A – at 14 kDa in size RNAse is presumably small enough to fit through the 3nm pore, whereas the 60 kDa Benzonase is too large. They then demonstrated that positively charged plugs can be used to package proteins – in this case GFP. It really is beautiful protein engineering to develop a highly modular system. The Fc component can be switched to any IgG or Fc-fusion to target specific cells. You can even create multi-specific mosaic nanocages as they showed in their original work. The anti-Fc multimer can be switched to change the valency and geometry, although here they have focussed on the octahedral structure. The plug can be switched to fine tune pH dependent release and charge for efficient cargo loading. In theory almost any cargo could be loaded into the nanocage. Although they don’t demonstrate it, they speculate the use of this platform to target toxic payloads to the tumor microenvironment, i.e. smart release only at the site of action. Could this kind of smart release mechanism be the 5th generation of ADCs that avoid toxicity away from the tumor? There are still many unknowns – immunogenicity, stability, PK, how to escape the endosome etc. Link to paper in the first comment. ----- I'm Ian, I post about antibody engineering, recombinant proteins and my journey to bootstrap Gamma Proteins into a leading supplier of Fc receptors. If you like my content please reshare with your network and follow me to see more.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful, chronic disease of synovial joint structure and function that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), afflicts more than 200 million individuals worldwide. An important pathophysiologic change associated with OA is a decrease in the lubricity of synovial fluid (SF) owing to a decrease in both the concentration and molecular weight of hyaluronic acid (HA) and lubricin. SF is a clear, viscous fluid found in the cavities of synovial joints, where it plays a crucial role in lubricating and nourishing the joint tissues. It is primarily composed of water, electrolytes, and hyaluronic acid, along with proteins and enzymes. Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant, reducing friction between the surfaces of bones and cartilage during movement. Changes in the composition or volume of synovial fluid can occur in various joint disorders, such as arthritis, impacting joint lubrication and function. Artificial SF, also known as synthetic SF is a substance designed to mimic the lubricating and cushioning properties of natural synovial fluid found in joints. It is primarily used in medical procedures such as joint replacement surgeries, where natural synovial fluid may be lacking or insufficient. Artificial SF typically consists of biocompatible materials such as hyaluronic acid or polymer-based substances that can provide lubrication and shock absorption within the joint space. By supplementing or replacing natural synovial fluid, artificial synovial fluid aims to improve joint function, reduce friction, and alleviate symptoms such as pain and stiffness associated with conditions like OA.   In a Nature Communications paper published in 2020, we reported the gram-scale synthesis of dendritic polymers, mega hyperbranched polyglycerols (mega HPGs), in million Daltons. The mega HPGs are highly water soluble, soft, nanometer-scale single polymer particles that exhibit low intrinsic viscosities. Further, we showed the mega HPGs are lubricants acting as interposed single molecule ball bearings to reduce the coefficient of friction between both hard and soft natural surfaces in a size dependent manner. We attribute this result to their globular and single particle nature together with its exceptional hydration. Our results support the feasibility of using mega HPGs as a novel biolubricant to supplement the viscous lubrication of SF in patients with early OA. #osteoarthritis #hyaluronicacid #nanomedicine

South Korea just built liquid robots that mimic living cells. They're microscopic. Guided by sound. And could one day deliver cancer treatments with surgical precision. Here’s how they work: ▶︎ 1. They’re literally liquid These micro-robots aren’t built from metal or silicon. They’re made of water droplets, frozen into tiny cubes and coated with Teflon-like particles. As the ice melts, the coating forms a flexible shell - stable, but incredibly adaptive. ▶︎ 2. They move like cells, not machines These droplets can: - Squeeze through narrow biological pathways - Pick up and transport materials - Merge with other droplets and still hold their form They behave more like living tissue than technology. ▶︎ 3. Steered by sound These robots respond to sound waves, which guide their movement inside the body. That means they could one day deliver drugs directly to hard-to-reach tumours - with high precision and minimal disruption. ▶︎ 4. Early days, bold potential They’re still in early research, but full of promise. Beyond oncology, these microrobots could support: - Targeted drug delivery - Delicate, minimally invasive procedures - Even applications in environmental cleanup — reaching places rigid robots can’t And here’s what this signals for healthtech founders: → Biology-inspired design isn’t a trend - it’s the next wave. → Soft, adaptive tools will reshape how we think about hardware in medicine. → The line between biology and engineering is blurring - fast. This isn’t just innovation at the molecular level. It’s a new way of building care systems from the inside out. So would you trust a robot made of liquid to deliver your treatment? (Video by New Scientist.) #entrepreneurship #startup #funding