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Friday, 31st March 2006 (6536 views)

US biotech company CytImmune Sciences has been awarded a grant to help with cancer research involving gold nanoparticles.

The $500,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health will go to further develop the firm's proprietary pegylated colloidal gold nanoparticles platform.

The CytImmune scientists are developing a system of binding a tumour-killing agent called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) to gold nanoparticles that will target tumours and act as an anti-cancer agent.

This process is the core of a new group of cancer nanotherapies that attack tumours while avoiding healthy organs. One such drug is known as CYT-21001 and will see TNF and a thiolated paclitaxel analog bound to 27 nm pegylated colloidal gold nanoparticles.

Pre-clinical proof-of-concept of the therapy of this drug could lead to further development of colloidal gold-based combination nanotherapeutics.

CytImmune's chief executive and president, Dr Larry Tamarkin, said: "This grant will make it possible for CytImmune to develop a true multifunctional cancer therapy, providing funding for its preclinical evaluations and the manufacturing process for the production of CYT-21001."

 

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