This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project aims to develop paclitaxel-loaded nano particles with avidin modified surfaces for the targeting of the drug to cells that express an appropriate receptor for which the particle also carries the ligand. Tumor-specific targeting of drugs is one of the most sought after goals of oncology and the use of liganded nano particles may enable not only targeting, but also greater uptake and deeper tumor penetration resulting in enhanced drug efficacy.
Ovarian cancer is a devastating disease and the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. The current treatment is cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy. Despite these efforts however, the disease remains recalcitrant. Intraperitoneal therapy has been shown to hold promise for the treatment of ovarian cancer and the development of nanoparticles that would be able to target the tumor and deliver drug into it would be a significant step forward in the efforts to fight this disease.
