A Novel Nanomaterials Approach for Cancer Imaging and Therapeutic Treatment

描述(申请人提供)：今天的癌症治疗需要针对肿瘤的有效治疗方法，这种治疗方法不会伤害患者，从而损害治疗效果并延长恢复时间。一种不损害健康活组织的多模式治疗和显像剂将为研究人员和这种致命疾病的受害者带来巨大好处。纳米材料有可能提供所需的下一代解决方案，因为它们提供了1)与电池(1到1,000 nm)非常匹配的独特尺寸范围，2)强大的多功能能力，以及3)固有的大表面积比。拟议的研究将集中在合成一种新的纳米材料结构并验证其有效性。正如设想的那样，这种新结构将通过同时充当图像对比度增强剂、靶向药物输送载体、热敏剂和单线态氧生成器来提供多模式治疗优势。该研究项目是专门针对美国国立卫生研究院科技研究计划第一阶段征集的“生物工程纳米技术倡议”(PA-06-008)而设计的。扩大的项目时间表和预算，我们强大的初步数据，以及经验丰富的团队，都将直接满足NIH这次特别招标的目标。Ada Technologies组建了一支高素质的研发团队来执行这一具有挑战性的项目。ADA的首席研究员是纳米技术和纳米计量学方面的专家；弗吉尼亚理工大学的学术STTR合作伙伴在纳米材料合成和热疗方面提供丰富的经验和设备；维克森林大学综合癌症中心主任作为癌症研究的专家顾问提供服务。鉴于提议的纳米结构的原始版本已经对前列腺癌细胞显示出有效性，我们将重点关注前列腺癌，以进行第一阶段的概念验证。第一阶段的任务旨在验证我们创造新纳米材料结构的能力，并展示纳米材料合成以及高温和活性氧治疗的可行性。将评估体外组织代表模体和初步的体内模型。第一阶段的成功将在第二阶段为更复杂的纳米结构合成(包括抗体和药物输送靶向)和更大规模的体内研究奠定基础。在第三阶段内，我们将与威尔生物制药行业合作，加快这一前景广阔的生物纳米技术的临床研究和商业化。最终，这种纳米结构材料将使患者受益，他们将接受更有效和更良性的治疗方案；研究人员，他们将受益于一种高效的多模式药物制剂；以及生物制药行业，它将拥有更畅销的癌症治疗产品。通过这项研究对多种癌症类型的预期应用，潜在的全球市场每年可能达到数十亿美元。公共卫生回顾：在一个重大医学进步的时代，针对肿瘤的、无毒的和有效的针对癌细胞的治疗方法不存在作为当今21世纪患者的选择。下一代纳米材料为癌症治疗提供了更有效和更无害的选择的新途径，因为它们能够定制成成像剂、药物分子和用于热疗的高导电材料。拟议的多阶段STTR项目的重点是开发一种新的、多模式纳米材料，通过其增强的成像、改进的靶向治疗选择性和微创治疗提供，用于治疗多种癌症类型。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cancer treatment today is in need of tumor-specific and effective therapies that do not harm the patient and thereby compromise treatment efficacy and prolong recovery time. A multi-modal therapeutic and imaging agent that does not damage healthy living tissue would have tremendous benefit to researchers and victims of this deadly disease. Nanomaterials have the potential to provide the next- generation solutions that are needed, as they offer 1) a unique size range closely matching that of cells (1 to 1,000 nm), 2) a substantial multifunctional capability, and 3) an inherently large surface-to-volume ratio. The proposed research will focus on synthesizing a novel nanomaterial construct and validating its effectiveness. As envisioned, this new construct will offer a multimodal therapeutic advantage by acting simultaneously as an image contrast enhancement agent, a targeted drug-delivery vehicle, a thermal sensitizer, and a generator of singlet oxygen. This research project is specifically designed to address the special NIH STTR Phase I solicitation "Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative" (PA-06-008). The expanded project timeline and budget, our strong preliminary data, and the highly experienced team all combine to directly address the goals of this special NIH solicitation. ADA Technologies has assembled a highly qualified R&D team to execute this challenging project. ADA's Principal Investigator is an expert on nanotechnology and nanometrology; the academic STTR partners at Virginia Tech offer substantial experience and equipment for nanomaterials synthesis and hyperthermia treatment; and the Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University offers his services as an expert consultant on cancer research. Given that a primitive version of the proposed nanostructure has already shown efficacy with prostate cancer cells, we will focus on prostate cancer for the initial proof of concept in Phase I. Phase I tasks are designed to validate our ability to create the new nanomaterial structures and to demonstrate the feasibility of nanomaterials synthesis as well as hyperthermia and reactive oxygen treatments. In vitro tissue representative phantoms and preliminary in vivo models will be assessed. Phase I success will set the stage in Phase II for more-complex nanostructure synthesis (including antibody and drug-delivery targeting) and larger- scale in vivo studies. Within Phase III, we will partner will bio-pharma industry to expedite clinical studies and commercialization of this promising bionanotechnology. Ultimately, this nanostructured material will benefit patients, who will receive a more effective and benign treatment protocol; researchers, who will benefit from a highly effective new multi-modal drug agent; and the bio-pharma industry, which will have a more-marketable product for cancer treatment. The potential worldwide market could reach billions of dollars per year through the research's anticipated application to multiple cancer types. PUBLIC HEALTH REELEVANCE: In an age of major medical advances, tumor-specific, non-toxic and effective therapies against cancer cells do not exist as an option for today's 21st-century patients. Next-generation nanomaterials offer new avenues for more efficacious and harmless options for cancer treatment with their ability to be customized with imaging agents, drug molecules, and highly conducting materials for thermal treatment. The proposed, multi-phase STTR project is focused on developing a new, multi-modal nanomaterial for treating numerous cancer types through its enhanced imaging, improved selectivity of targeted treatment, and minimally invasive therapeutic delivery.