A team of chemists from RIKEN has developed a highly active catalyst that can synthesize drug molecules within the body. In experiments with mice, the injected catalyst successfully assembled an anticancer drug near tumors, effectively suppressing tumor growth.
Traditional medicines, whether delivered through injections or pills, distribute the active drug molecule throughout the entire body, affecting not only the intended target site but also healthy tissues. This often leads to severe side effects, sometimes causing permanent damage and necessitating the discontinuation of treatment.
By assembling drug molecules specifically at target sites within the body, it is possible to enhance their effectiveness while minimizing the associated side effects.
“The direct synthesis of drugs within the body would allow for the treatment of diseases without causing harm to healthy tissues,” explains Katsunori Tanaka, chief scientist of the RIKEN Biofunctional Synthetic Chemistry Laboratory. ”This is why we require a biocompatible biocatalysis system that can perform drug synthesis near target sites in the body.”
The research team focused on drug assembly within the body using a catalytic chemical reaction known as olefin metathesis. Tanaka elaborates, “Olefin metathesis is one of the most efficient methods for constructing carbon–carbon double bonds in drug synthesis. If we can adapt it for in-body use, it would enable us to synthesize a wide range of drugs.”
2023-12-09 01:00:04
Original from phys.org