A team of specialists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), working in a joint scientific collective, has successfully improved the targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs directly to tumor sites. Researchers discovered that by encasing therapeutic nanoparticles in a blend of substances—a composition that surprisingly makes up approximately one-third of the human brain—it is possible to ensure the precise release of the active compound within cancer cells, thereby significantly minimizing harmful effects on healthy tissues. This innovative breakthrough was detailed in the Journal of Controlled Release.
The severe side effects commonly associated with chemotherapy, such as hair loss, nausea, and persistent fatigue, stem from the indiscriminate nature of toxic drugs. These agents attack not only the cancerous cells but also healthy ones. As elaborated by the researchers at SPbPU, the drugs spread throughout the bloodstream, affecting tissues that are not impacted by the disease.
This non-selective action of cancer drugs within a patient`s body also leads to a reduction in the overall treatment efficacy, as only a small fraction of the administered medication reaches its intended target. Sergey Shipilovskikh, a leading researcher and associate professor at SPbPU`s Higher School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, highlighted that to achieve more precise transportation of therapeutic agents to the tumor region, nanocarriers can be employed. These “containers” serve to protect the active substance from the external environment and can be precisely controlled.
These sophisticated nanocarriers can be equipped with specific tags designed to recognize only cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. Scientists from SPbPU, in a collaborative effort with colleagues from ITMO University, found that coating the surface of nanoparticles with a mixture of biological substances effectively reduces the nanocarrier`s “recognizability” by healthy cells, thereby ensuring accurate delivery of the active agent to its target.
“Our findings demonstrate that approximately 80 percent of the active substance is released from a nanocontainer, which is composed of silicon dioxide and enveloped in a lipid shell of lecithin, specifically within cancerous cells. Moreover, the therapeutic effect is prolonged, meaning the medicine is not released all at once, but gradually, creating an accumulating impact within the tumor environment,” explained Sergey Shipilovskikh.
Lecithin, a complex mixture of natural fats, fatty acids, and other organic components, was chosen by the scientists for coating the nanocontainers. This choice is significant because human brain tissue is composed of about 30 percent lecithin. This inherent biological compatibility suggests that a drug utilizing such a coating would likely not trigger rejection or an adverse immune response in patients, the researcher added.
“The use of the active substance within nanoparticles, rather than in its free form, also presents considerable advantages regarding storage conditions. The nanocontainer shields the medicinal compound from atmospheric oxygen, light, and other environmental factors that could potentially compromise its integrity,” the scientist commented.
The scientists propose that the preferential accumulation of these nanoparticles in tumors is due to both the specific structural characteristics of the lipid shell and the fact that cancerous cells generally exhibit a more active metabolism compared to healthy cells. Looking ahead, researchers intend to investigate the precise mechanism by which lecithin-coated nanoparticles are absorbed by cells. Their ultimate objective is to continue developing a universal system capable of delivering anti-tumor drugs to various types of cancer cells with high specificity.
This pioneering research was conducted under the auspices of the federal program “Priority-2030.”
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth