Conventional cancer therapies are associated with toxicity toward healthy cells, which need to be addressed by novel therapeutic approaches. US2021/0230592 patent application discloses a carbon nanotube-based approach for tumor targeting, wherein a self-assembling single-wall nanotube complex has been developed and functionalized to deliver a molecule to a cancerous cell. The radiolabeled nanotubes exhibited markedly reduced toxicity as they did not depict any ‘over toxicity’ up to radioactivity value of 1350 nCi. The single-wall carbon nanotube conjugates were covalently connected to several chelators, therapeutic or diagnostic radionuclides, and showed promising results in the effective cancer management. Besides, this invention with further modifications paves an ideal pathway to researchers in effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Aim: To overcome the limitations associated with conventional formulations for cancer treatment by the effective utilization of nanoemulsion with therapy and diagnosis through the single unit. Patent: US20210275687 describes the usage of functionalized various oil-in-water nanoemulsions as pharmacological vehicles with theranostic potential in cancer treatment. Materials & methods: Vitamin E, oleic acid, sphingomyelin, ligands for functionalization, contrast agents and therapeutic biomolecules. Results: The toxicity studies conducted on healthy mice did not show any apparent toxicity issues. The stability studies conducted at 40 °C and 75% relative humidity, which is mandatory for regulatory approval, indicated the adequate physical stability of the formulation. Conclusion: The studies exhibited the promising theranostic potential of the developed nanoemulsion for the effective management and diagnosis of cancer and metastatic diseases.
Photoresponsive liposome development is needed to serve as a facile alternative to ELISA which is ineffective for detecting small levels of biomarkers due to low detection sensitivity. The US20210396744 patent application outlines novel photoresponsive liposomes for the detection of target substances with the aid of light. Although versatile, there may be possible stability issues that can be avoided with the appropriate selection of liposome components. Furthermore, the clinical success of this technology depends on many parameters like plasma stability, efficient loading of photosensitive components in the membrane, and immobilization of molecular recognition elements to the membrane. Despite several challenges, they possess enormous potential to become a non-invasive tool for the detection of target substances.
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