STTR Phase I: Intelligent Low-Toxicity Nanoparticles for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project focuses on synthesis and delivery of nanoparticles for determination of the progression of cancer. Besides diagnosis, the nanoplatform offers the treatment option of directing high- temperature therapy specifically to the tumor, without harming healthy tissue. The nanoplatform contains a central iron/iron oxide/gold core/shell nanoparticle, plus the ability to identify which of four cancer-specific enzymes in the patient?s body are abnormally active. The activity of these four enzymes indicates the progression of cancer (Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV). The broader impacts of this research are earlier diagnosis of cancer, and more effective treatment of cancer. Cancer is the second largest cause of death in developed countries, accounting for nearly 20% of all deaths. Early detection of cancer is essential even before anatomic anomalies are visible. A major challenge in cancer diagnosis is detection of tumors at an early stage for maximum therapeutic benefit. An example is breast cancer where mammography requires more than a million cells for accurate clinical diagnosis. Offering better techniques to cancer centers and their patients could detect these abnormalities in the hundreds to thousands of cells stage, greatly improving treatment success. The functionalized nanoparticles will be more selective towards cancer cells than currently available technology, enabling diagnosis by spectroscopic methods including MRI at earlier stages of the cancers progression. In addition to enabling earlier detection, these materials also have potential for breakthroughs in treatment methods.