Researchers led by Institute Professor Paula Hammond have refined the production of polymer-coated nanoparticles that deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to tumors, minimizing traditional chemotherapy side effects. Their innovation relies on ´layer-by-layer´ assembly, building nanoparticles by alternately applying oppositely charged polymer layers, each potentially holding drugs or targeting molecules. While previous iterations of the process yielded promising results in animal models, particularly against ovarian cancer, the original laborious technique couldn´t meet clinical production needs.
The team’s breakthrough comes from integrating a microfluidic mixing device into the assembly process. This allows for the continuous, sequential addition of polymer layers as nanoparticles flow through a microchannel. By calculating and adding just the required amount of polymer for each layer, the method slashes both the time and material costs, eliminating the need for repeated purification. This streamlined process aligns neatly with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Good Manufacturing Practice standards, reducing the risk of operator errors and ensuring batch-to-batch consistency required for clinical trials.
Demonstrating the approach, the researchers produced nanoparticles carrying interleukin-12—a molecule known to stimulate the immune response—within minutes, generating enough doses for initial patient studies significantly faster than before. These nanoparticles, once administered, bind to the exterior of cancer tissue without entering cells, activating the immune system to attack the tumor, and have shown success in delaying or even curing ovarian cancer in mouse models. With a patent filed, the team is now collaborating with the Deshpande Center at MIT to commercialize the technology, envisioning its application beyond ovarian cancer to other hard-to-treat cancers like glioblastoma.
