Written by Eric Hamilton

Atomic-scale images of gemcitabine-loaded nanoparticles reveal an unusual cylindrical shape. Photo credit; University of Wisconsin- Madison Courtesy of Tony Tam

In the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy is a cleaver, not a scalpel. By attacking rapidly dividing cells, chemotherapy effectively fights tumors, but it also ravages healthy cells in the gut, bone marrow, the scalp and other organs, leading to severe side effects. These toxic chemicals save lives, but at a great cost to patient well-being.

In an effort to tip the balance toward the upsides of chemotherapy, Glen Kwon, a professor in the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, is turning to nanoparticles capable of enhancing these drugs’ therapeutic properties.

In new work recently published in the journal ACS Nano, Kwon’s lab developed a stabilized form of a common chemotherapy agent, gemcitabine, and encased it in nanoparticles capable of slowing down their release. In mouse models of human lung cancer, the improved drug inhibited tumor growth more effectively than standard gemcitabine. Read more.

Published July 25, 2018 by University of Wisconsin-Madison News