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Nanomedicine and Nanoscale Delivery (Focus Group – NND)

Gemcitabine nanotherapeutics with increased stability and different rate of hydrolytic release

Kateřina Běhalová, Mgr. – PhD student, Institute of Microbiology of the CAS; Tomáš Etrych, Ph.D. – Group leader, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS; Kevin Kotalík, Mgr. – PhD student, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS; Marek Kovář, Ph.D. – Group leader, Institute of Microbiology of the CAS; Robert Pola, Ph.D. – Senior researcher, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS
Introduction:

Gemcitabine is low-molecular-weight cytostatic used in chemotherapy for treatment of pancreatic cancer, often for patients in poor condition. However, free drug administration brings a number of disadvantages: causes low specificity, short circulation time, fast degradation, and high toxicity. To address these issues, pHPMA-based copolymers serve as biocompatible, water-soluble nanotherapeutics for drug delivery1. These systems allow controlled drug release via a biodegradable linker, which significantly improves circulation time and reduces side effects compared to the free drug.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the advantages of using polymer carriers for drug delivery compared to the administration of free drugs.
  • Understand the mechanism of drug delivery systems and strategies for achieving controlled drug release
  • Evaluate the efficacy of drug delivery systems compared to free drugs in plasma and in vitro environments