Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Drug Delivery Systems Derived from Cells

By National University of Singapore | December 4, 2017

Schematic demonstrating the production of CDNs. CDNs can be produced “on-demand” in larger quantities within a shorter time frame than isolating the same amount of exosomes.

National University of Singapore pharmaceutical scientists have developed a cost-effective method to produce cell-derived nanovesicles (CDNs) for bio-inspired drug delivery applications.

Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) play an important role in transporting drugs to their intended target sites. They protect the active pharmaceutical compounds from the external environment during their journey to the target tissues, resulting in more effective treatment and lower drug amounts. Several synthetic DDS have been developed in recent years, but they are often limited by their accumulation in the body, hence resulting in greater potential toxicity profiles, especially if the drug cannot reach the diseased area in sufficient amounts.

Interestingly, naturally produced nanoscale cellular structures (vesicles), namely exosomes, are released by almost all mammalian cells. Exosomes have emerged as potential candidates for use as DDS due to their low toxicity (in view of their natural origin), ability to house biological cargo and propensity to accumulate within diseased tissue (due to the preservation of key surface features from their parent cells).  However, their translation into clinical applications is limited by the multi-step approach needed to isolate naturally secreted exosomes and its low yield.

Professor Giorgia Pastorin and her Ph.D. student Wei Jiang Goh from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS, have developed a simple and cost-effective method to produce CDNs, which can mimic naturally occurring exosomes. The CDNs are produced by shearing cells into nanoscale vesicles by passing them through a series of filters using standard laboratory equipment. These CDNs have been shown to be similar to exosomes in terms of key proteins and lipid composition. Using this new method, CDNs can be produced “on demand” and in larger quantities as compared to isolating exosomes from the same amount of cells.

Pastorin says, “We have demonstrated that these CDNs retain the ability to reach and accumulate at cancerous tissue in a mouse tumor model and have developed a method for loading a chemotherapeutic drug into the CDNs.”

Source: National University of Singapore

Related Articles Read More >

Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power
Nanodots enable fine-tuned light emission for sharper displays and faster quantum devices
New photon-avalanching nanoparticles could enable next-generation optical computers
New “nose-computer interface” aims to upgrade Rover’s nose for better drug detection methods
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE