Development of gold nanocarriers for antineoplastic drugs

• Grant number: 16/22233-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Ramon Kaneno
• Grantee: Flávia Sardela de Miranda
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Prostate cancer figures as the main type of tumor in male patients and its treatment is done especially by hormonal blockade and prostatectomy, associated or not with chemo and radiotherapy. In cases in which chemotherapy is used, selected drugs for most cases are taxols, which works by interfering with the microtubule function, leading to cell death. Chemotherapy against prostate cancer is not always efficient and is followed by a variety of side effects, which may require cessation of treatment. These difficulties require the development of new strategies of treatment or new schedules of chemotherapy, in order to increase its effectiveness with minimal side effects. In this scenario, the use of nanomaterials as drug carriers to specific sites is shown to be a viable alternative for medicine. Thus, the present project was designed to investigate the feasibility of using gold nanoparticles for the transportation of paclitaxel to prostate cancer cells. The gold particles are going to be synthetized in our own laboratory, polymerized with polietilenimine (PEI) and later combined with paclitaxel. Then, this composite will be tested for interaction with tumor cells and it cytotoxic effect. (AU)