Tessy López

Depto. de Atención a la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana‐Xochimilco, 
México.
Laboratorio de Nanotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología “MVS”, México.
 C
Cancer d fi i i
definition

Disease caused by normal cells changing so, that they

growth in an uncontrolled way. The uncontrolled
growth causes a lump called a tumor. 
 Main characteristics of cancer cells 
y self‐sufficiency in
growth signals
y insensitivity to anti
anti‐
growth signals
y evasion of apoptosis
y li i l
limitless replicative
li i
potential
y sustained
angiogenesis
y tissue invasion and
metastasis.
 Mortality due to malignancy (México)
14

12

10

4
2
0
1922
1950
1980
1990
1998
1999
2001

Fuente: http://www.dgepi.salud.gob.mx/
 Cancer Treatment

Conventional
C ti l forms
f off drug
d
administration generally
relyy on p pills,, eye
y drops, p,
ointments and intravenous
solutions. But in the last
few years we have
witnessed an explosion in
research aimed at creating
new drug delivery systems.
 Local Drug delivery
Local application or direct tumor injection of
p
chemotherapeutic g has been p
drugs p
proposed as a
method by which local drug concentrations can be
maximized in the immediate tumor environment
while systemic exposure and non‐target organ
toxicity is minimized

9 Low
L
concentrations
9 toxic side
effects
Platinum based drugs
Platinum‐based drugs
The interest in platinum‐based antitumor drugs has its origin
in the 1960’s.
Platinating agents have been extensively used as treatment in
several types of cancer. A property common to many
chemical carcinogens is that they are DNA reactive.
y Conventional platinum-based drugs are DNA reactive

Pt-DNA adducts
Platinum complexes are now
among the most widely used
drugs for the treatment of 
cancer.
The search for improved
platinum drugs continues with
the
h goalsl off reducing
d i the h toxic
i
side effects and broadening the
spectrum of activity to
tumours resistant
to cisplatin.
Nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers may provide a
solution for the problems in chemotherapy
• sustained, controlled and targeted delivery;
i.e. personalized chemotherapy;
•delivery
d l off therapeutic
h agents across
physiological drug barriers;
•chemotherapy at home

Drugs may be bound in form of a solid solution

or dispersion or be adsorbed to the surface or
chemically
h i ll attached.
h d
 l l
Sol‐gel process
y It is a suitable method for nanoparticles synthesis.
synthesis
y Because of a great variety of organic molecules  can be 
encapsulated into a inorganic matrix using sol–gel 
p g g g
process, it has gained considerable interest during the 
past decade.
Hypothesis
y A nanometric functionalized and biocompatible “ DNA‐
catalyst” (biocatalyst) with specific surface properties to 
make possible its interaction at molecular level, with genetic 
material of cancer cells , and capable to “break” some DNA 
bonds (phosphodiesther, hydrogen bonds) and to induce an 
apoptotic process, to avoid DNA replication in damaged 
cells.
 Nanometric particles
y Due to their nanometric
size, our obtained 
size  our obtained 
biocatalysts are capable 
to cross physiological 
membranes (BBB, 
celular, BSB, and so 
forth)
UAM + INNN
México

Nanotechnology
Laboratory
UAM-INNN
Our designed materials
Our designed materials
Pt/TiO2 and Pt/SiO2 nanoparticles, with:
• High surface area
•Surface acidity (Lewis acidity)
• Well dispersed Pt (1%) over TiO2 or SiO2 nanoparticles surface
•Stabilized Pt(II) species
•High surface hydroxilation degree
2
Pt-SiO2-Piridina

% Tranmittance
1

B
C
D
E
0
1700 1650 1600 1550 1500 1450 1400
-1
Wavenumber (cm )
Nanostructured biocatalysts for GBM treatment
In vivo tests
C6 cells inoculated in motor cortex and 
treated by means of an implant formed by 
the biocatalyst.

C6 cells inoculated intraperitoneally and 
treated by means of an injection of 
y j
suspended nanopaticles. 
 H‐E micrographs
g p of  (a) tumor treated
( ) with Pt/SiO
/ 2‐Pt(NH
( 3)4Cl2 2 ,, 
(b) 20X  y (c) TUNEL technique.

a b c
Particles
Control Platinum complex

Titania Titania-Platinum 60
Tumoral weight reduction
50 24 6%
24.6%

Tumoral weigth (gr)

40 43.4%
79%
30 *

20

10

0
CONTROL Pt TiO2 TiO2-Pt
*p=0.03 when compared with control

Average tumor size of C6 glioma in rats after treatment

Summary
Su ay

y Sol‐gel process is a suitable method to obtain

nanometric‐size particles with dispersed latinum
atoms enhancing its catalytic activity. 
activity  
y A reduction of ca. 80% in tumor size was observed
when the animals were treated with the biocatalyst.
biocatalyst
y Specific properties like high surface area, Lewis 
acidityy , and nanometric p
particle size make facilitates
inteaction between DNA‐nanoparticles leading the
cancer cell to an apoptotic process (no more 
replication of damaged cells).
cells)
y These novel biocatalysts, represent
y , p g
a good alternative for
cancer treatment, specially when the tumor is located in 
an inaccessible site. 
y Besides, using
Besides  using this local therapy secondary effects of 
platinum can be totally eliminated and giving the patient
a better quality of life.
C   @ di
Contact: tessy3@prodigy.net.mx
www.labnano.hostmex.org