Flower-shaped zinc oxide particles are just three micrometers in diameter.
The shape of a flower and its petals transport medicines to specific parts of the body and minimize side effects. Here are the “desert roses” that allow “remote control” of medication.
A new system, which uses flower-shaped microparticles to administer medicines, is being seen as a revolutionary in precision medicine and promises to transform the treatments of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Nicknamed “desert roses”these innovative particles can target specific areas of the body, and are tracked through medical imaging and guided by ultrasound.
For years, scientists have searched for methods to deliver medicines directly to specific parts of the body. It is a way of minimizing its side effects, which manifest themselves in great force, for example, in oncology treatments.
The concept of “courier particles” already existed, but those recently developed by researchers at ETH Zurich seem to fulfill, according to , the most difficult objectives to achieve: absorbing a high volume of the active substance, being easily guided through the bloodstream and being traceable. through non-invasive images.
Why is a “flower” more effective?
The small “flowers” developed by the team of Daniel Razansky and Metin Sitti are composed of thin, petal-like structuresone to five micrometers in diameter — are smaller than a red blood cell.
According to the October study in Advanced Materials, the unique shape of these particles gives you two fundamental advantages.
On the one hand, the arrangement of the petals creates an extensive surface area, with nanometer-wide spaces that function as pores, allowing them to absorb large quantities of therapeutic substances. On the other hand, the petals disperse sound waves and can be coated with molecules that absorb light, making them detectable through ultrasound.
“Previously, researchers mainly studied small gas bubbles as a method of transport through the bloodstream using ultrasound or other acoustic methods,” explains Paul Wrede, co-author of the study.
“We have now demonstrated that solid microparticles can also be acoustically guided,” allowing for greater drug loading capacity, he explains.
Control the injected substance
Early experiments demonstrated the particles’ ability to carry a cancer drug and remain stationary in a specific area of a mouse’s circulatory system using focused ultrasound. Unlike conventional methods, this system offers precise control, ensuring that medicines reach their intended location more effectively.
“In other words, we don’t just inject particles and hope for the best. In fact, we control them”, explains Wrede.
Particles can be manufactured from various materials, including zinc oxide, polyimide e compound substances.
The researchers now intend to perfect the technology, with more studies on animals, before exploring applications in humans. If successful, the innovation will revolutionize treatments for potentially fatal diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Tomás Guimarães, ZAP //
