Nanomedicine to Deliver Highly Hydrophobic Anti-Cancer Drug
Omkar Mhatre completed his B.Tech from ICT Mumbai and M.Tech from IIT Bombay. His M.Tech dissertation focused on cancer nanomedicine under the guidance of Prof. Rohit Srivastava. He is currently a PhD student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware, USA.
In this interview, Omkar discusses his first-author research article based on his M.Tech work, titled “pH-responsive delivery of anti-metastatic niclosamide using mussel inspired polydopamine nanoparticles,” published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2021).
How would you explain your paper’s key results to the non-scientific community?
Our work presents a formulation strategy for delivering Niclosamide, a repurposed anti-cancer drug, using a biocompatible polymer called polydopamine. In preliminary studies, the formulation successfully inhibited breast cancer cells’ movement and metabolism.
Although many anti-cancer drugs exist, most face issues like hydrophobicity, toxicity to normal cells, and high costs. Nanotechnology offers a promising solution. By encapsulating drugs in nanoparticles smaller than 200 nm, we can reduce toxicity and increase the effectiveness of hydrophobic drugs. In cancer therapy, this is especially useful because tumor blood vessels are “leaky,” allowing nanoparticles to reach the tumor directly.
However, there are challenges: high drug development costs, long timelines, and environmental concerns related to organic solvent use.
Niclosamide is already FDA-approved and relatively inexpensive, which makes it easier to bring to clinical use. Our synthesis method uses FDA-approved ingredients, minimizes harmful solvents, and follows a one-step process, making it scalable and cost-effective for manufacturing.
What are the possible consequences of these findings for your research area?
Although Niclosamide has known anti-cancer potential, its hydrophobic nature limits its use. Our method enables the creation of monodisperse polydopamine nanoparticles with high drug loading capacity.
We used a systematic experimental design and optimization strategy to make the process reproducible. This approach could be adopted for other highly hydrophobic drugs as well.
Our proposed method of formulation helps us fabricate monodisperse polydopamine nanoparticles with high drug loading capacity.
What was the exciting moment (eureka moment) during your research?
The most exciting moment came when we successfully achieved consistent nanoparticle size and morphology in three scaled-up synthesis batches. We knew the method worked on a small scale, but reproducing the results at larger scales was thrilling and confirmed the robustness of our approach.
What do you hope to do next?
We’ve shown that our nanoparticles are non-toxic in mice. Next, we plan to evaluate:
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In vivo biodistribution
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Drug release profile
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Therapeutic efficacy in a mouse model of breast cancer
Where do you seek scientific inspiration?
My inspiration comes from everyday life. I believe science must stay connected with society. I gain insights through conversations with friends, peers, and mentors, as well as from music and walks in nature.
How do you intend to help Indian science improve?
Indian science thrives on its tenacity and resilience, but there is a disconnect between how science is taught in schools and how it is practiced in research labs or industry.
We need to create stronger links between academic research and early education to help students transition smoothly into STEM fields. I hope to contribute to initiatives that inspire scientific curiosity in children and help build a scientifically aware and motivated society.
Reference
Mhatre O, Reddy BPK, Patnaik C, Chakrabarty S, Ingle A, De A, Srivastava R.
pH-responsive delivery of anti-metastatic niclosamide using mussel inspired polydopamine nanoparticles.
Int J Pharm. 2021 Feb 1;597:120278.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120278
Edited by: Govinda Raju Yedida (Volunteer, Bio Patrika)
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