Nanodiamonds are used to improve the chemotherapy effect of leukemia

Daunorubicin (Daunorubicin) is currently commonly used to treat leukemia. The drug slows down or stops the growth of cancer cells and causes most cancer cells to die. However, it also makes leukemia cells resistant to the drug, and when the drug is infused into leukemia cells, it will actively excrete chemotherapeutics, including daunorubicin.

Scientists from the National University of Singapore and the University of California turned to research on nanodiamonds as a topic for solving drug properties, in order to study the biological principles of nanodiamonds that may overcome drug resistance.

Scientists bind daunorubicin to the surface of nanodiamonds and then are introduced into leukemia cells. It was found that nanodiamonds can transport drugs to cancer cells without being discharged. Due to its non-invasive size and unique surface characteristics, nanodiamonds can be easily released without clogging blood vessels.

Dr. Zhou, who is engaged in this research, said: The use of nanodiamonds provides an ideal biocompatible compound, and is an ideal means of transportation for treatment, which can enhance the effect of treatment. One of the current goals is to determine that the drug will be well transported by nanodiamonds to specific disease models, which will be beneficial to the treatment of patients in the future.

Further systematic research and safety assessment of nanodiamonds will hopefully realize that it can be fully put into use, and hope that the research work can be applied to the clinical treatment of leukemia without daunorubicin treatment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the research results of nanoinjection suspension (Abraxane), which will help accelerate the development of new cancer-treated nano-therapeutic drugs and imaging technologies.