DRUG CARRIER FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCER - Isis Project No 70640

Technology Source: Universidade de São Paulo (USP)

A new drug-carrier system for administration of photosensitive agent for the treatment of skin cancer resulting in reduced side effects.

Marketing Opportunity

Skin cancer is one of the world’s most common cancers, with the number of cases increasing annually. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 132 000 cases of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, are diagnosed annually.

The efficiency of therapies used in cancer treatment is directly related to the level of selectivity in targeting the neoplastic tissues, destroying the diseased cells without affecting healthy cells. This is critically dependent upon the development of drug delivery systems with the ability to accumulate drugs selectively in tumour tissues.

The USP Invention

The USP Photobiology and Photomedicine Research Group is dedicated to the continual improvement of new therapies of cancer treatment. Recently, the group combined the benefits of drug delivery systems (DDs) with new pharmaceutical materials (nanoemulsions and nanoparticles) in order to apply photodynamic therapy and other photodynamic process (other non-oncological application). This therapy is based on the systemic or topical administration of a photosensitive-DDs drug followed by illumination with visible light of an appropriate wavelength in the neoplastic tissues. The ensuing photodynamic reaction leads to tumour destruction by necrosis or apoptosis process. 

This drug-carrier system has been shown to be more effective than other therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and offers other advantages: photosensitive nanoparticles with anti-cancer drugs presented less side effects in a less invasive treatment regime.  This methodology can also be used in other cancers as well as bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, and in the dermatological treatments designed to renew the skin. First phase clinical trials are underway and the results to date are encouraging. There are also studies in Tissue Engineering and in Dentistry area focusing on bacteria diseases.

Patent Status

This technology is owned by USP Innovation Agency, the technology transfer company of USP.  USP is the leading research University in South America.  This work is the subject of a patent application and USP Innovation Agency would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity that this represents.  Please contact the USP Project Manager via Isis to discuss this further.

Request Further Information: Project Number 70640 - Drug Carrier for the Treatment of Cancer