PART 2
Article 1: Researchers disguise drugs as platelets to target cancer
1) Describe the structure of the nanoparticle, including what it is composed of and what it contains inside and possesses on the outside.
Inside there is a synthetic core nanogel. On the outside it possesses a platelet membrane shell. The TRAIL is attached on the surface of membrane and Dox is loaded in the core of nanogel. ( Hu, 2015 para. 1)
2) Explain the mechanism of how the nanoparticle system delivers the drug to the cancer cell.
Blood is taken from a patient. The platelets are collected from that blood. The isolated platelets are treated to extract the platelet membranes, which are then placed in a solution with a nanoscale gel containing the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox), which attacks the nucleus of a cancer cell. The solution is compressed, forcing the gel through the membranes and creating nanoscale spheres made up of platelet membranes with Doxgel cores. These spheres are then treated so that their surfaces are coated with the anticancer drug TRAIL, which is most effective at attacking the cell membranes of cancer cells. ( Hu, 2015 para. 5) …show more content…
Three things happen approximately at the same time when the platelets come into contact with tumor cells. The P-Selection proteins on the platelet membrane attach to the CD44 proteins on the surface of the cancer cells, locking it into place. ( Hu, 2015 para. 7) Afterwards the TRAIL on the surface of the pseudo-platelet attacks the cancer cell membrane. Finally the nanoscale pseudo-platelet is swallowed by the larger cancer cell. Inside the cancer cell, the acidic environment begins to break the pseudo-platelet, allowing the Dox to attack the cancer cell’s nucleus. ( Hu, 2015 para.
Article 1: Researchers disguise drugs as platelets to target cancer
1) Describe the structure of the nanoparticle, including what it is composed of and what it contains inside and possesses on the outside.
Inside there is a synthetic core nanogel. On the outside it possesses a platelet membrane shell. The TRAIL is attached on the surface of membrane and Dox is loaded in the core of nanogel. ( Hu, 2015 para. 1)
2) Explain the mechanism of how the nanoparticle system delivers the drug to the cancer cell.
Blood is taken from a patient. The platelets are collected from that blood. The isolated platelets are treated to extract the platelet membranes, which are then placed in a solution with a nanoscale gel containing the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox), which attacks the nucleus of a cancer cell. The solution is compressed, forcing the gel through the membranes and creating nanoscale spheres made up of platelet membranes with Doxgel cores. These spheres are then treated so that their surfaces are coated with the anticancer drug TRAIL, which is most effective at attacking the cell membranes of cancer cells. ( Hu, 2015 para. 5) …show more content…
Three things happen approximately at the same time when the platelets come into contact with tumor cells. The P-Selection proteins on the platelet membrane attach to the CD44 proteins on the surface of the cancer cells, locking it into place. ( Hu, 2015 para. 7) Afterwards the TRAIL on the surface of the pseudo-platelet attacks the cancer cell membrane. Finally the nanoscale pseudo-platelet is swallowed by the larger cancer cell. Inside the cancer cell, the acidic environment begins to break the pseudo-platelet, allowing the Dox to attack the cancer cell’s nucleus. ( Hu, 2015 para.