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Nanodrug to Treat Intestinal Diseases

Nanodrug to Treat Intestinal Diseases
Nanodrug to Treat Intestinal Diseases

Iranian researchers from University of Maragheh have produced a nanodrug for targeted delivery that increases therapeutic effects and causes fewer side effects.

By using the conventional drug delivery system such as taking medicine orally or through injection, the medicine is distributed throughout the organs and affects the whole body, which gives rise to side effects.

Moreover, the large size of drug particles and its inability to pass through cell membranes necessitate the consumption of a large dose which will, in turn, cause high toxicity, Mehr News Agency wrote.  

Gholamreza Mahdavinia, the project manager, noted that nanotechnology can help create a targeted drug delivery system.

“The general aim of the present research was to produce targeted nanodrug for treating intestinal diseases in humans, which would simultaneously show sensitivity toward pH of gastrointestinal tract and the external magnetic field,” he said.

According to Mahdavinia, the time, location and speed of releasing the nanodrug into the targeted tissue can be easily controlled.  

 “The half-life of the drug in the bloodstream will increase and the toxicity of its absorption will decrease. Therefore, this new targeted drug delivery system will result in less side effects, better efficiency and the patient’s satisfaction and comfort,” he said.

According to Mahdavinia, the synthesized nanodrug has magnetic properties that enable it to be guided toward the target tissue by applying an external magnetic field. According to the observed results, by increasing the magnetic field, the amount of drug released into the tissue also increases, a characteristic that can be used in cancer treatment.

Results of the research have been published in Carbohydrate Polymers, vol. 128, 2015, pp. 112-121.

Financialtribune.com