Application
- Metal organic framework particles (MOFs) find growing interest as drug carrying materials due to their high porosity and high drug loading capacity, their low toxicity, their cell permeability, and the ease to modify the particles for biomedical applications.
- Surface-modified MOFs are used as gated carriers for the triggered release of drugs. Different triggers, such as pH, redox-agents, enzymes, or light-responsive units were applied as stimuli-responsive gates of drug-loaded MOF particles for controlled release of the drugs.
- One specific sub-class of stimuli-responsive nano-metal organic framework nanoparticles (NMOFs) included nucleic acid-functionalized stimuli-responsive drug-loaded nucleic acid-modified NMOF, since modification of the particles with nucleic acids and DNA-tetrahedra linkage to the particles significantly improves their permeation of the carriers.
Our Innovation
- Our technology consists in hybrid structures: DNA tetrahedra conjugated to drug-loaded metal-organic framework nano-particles (NMOFs) through stimuli-responsive bridges responding to biomarkers in a specific cell conditions.
- The tetrahedral structures are functionalized with aptamer as targeting agents. The NMOFs are loaded with drugs (e.g. doxorubicin).
Advantages
The DNA tetrahedra nanostructures associated with the NMOFs allow efficient release of the drug as enhanced chemotherapeutic activity and provide several unique features that “upgrade” the drug carrying capacities and nanomedical applications of the NMOFs:
- Enhanced cell permeation of the NMOFs carriers.
- Possibility to functionalize the tetrahedra nanostructures with aptamer units acting as cell targeting units that enhance the permeation and specificity of the carriers.
- Possibility to build on the DNA tetrahedra modules stimuli-responsive locks for the dictated gating and unlocking of the carriers and for the integration of amplification machineries to release the loaded drugs.
Opportunity
Our technology could be used to deliver their treatment to millions of cancer patients around the world.
We are seeking collaboration with drug delivery companies in the field of oncology.
