Cancer treatment: UoH gets patent for novel formulation

Anand Kondapi, a professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics at University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been granted an Indian Patent for a novel formulation associated with chemotherapeutic agents for targeted delivery.

The patent titled “Novel Formulation containing native or recombinant Apotransferrin or Lactoferrin nanoparticle loaded with biological alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for targeted delivery” was granted on July 20, 2023.

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This patent provides a targeted delivery formulation that can deliver biological alone or a combination of biological with a chemotherapeutic drug or biological with a regulated/delayed delivery of a chemotherapeutic agent based on the disease requirement. If this technology is realised in a clinical set-up, there will be wide applications and advantages in treatment of cancer, gene therapy, and other related conditions.

Kondapi and his team consisting of Sonali Khanra, S. L. Balakrishna, Jagadesh Senapathi, Chukhu Muj, Neha Tomar and Antham Soni are involved in the research work.

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Novelty

In the current treatment of cancer and other disease conditions, there is a requirement for the use of a biological alone (DNA, siRNA, antibody) or in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent. 

During chemotherapy, the biologicals (DNA, RNA, antibody) are given separately and drugs are given separately. It is not certain whether both will reach the intended cell, like cancer or disease-bearing cells. 

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Thus, encapsulating biological and drug together in a nanoparticle will facilitate the delivery of the drug and biological together, facilitating the action of both of them in the target cell. Another important feature of the technology is the use of natural proteins, the protein present in cow milk, Lactoferrin, or in the blood, Apo transferrin as a nano vehicle.

The receptors for these two proteins are highly expressed in metabolically active cancer cells. Thus, when administered orally or intravenously, these nanoparticles reach cancer cells, delivering the cargo of biological and/or drug(s), conferring the intended effect for degeneration of cancer, according to a release.