The article “Theranostic Nanoscaffold for Targeted Delivery of Cisplatin,” published in ACS Applied Nano Materials, presents an innovation developed by scientists from the Instituto de Química (IQUSP) at USP: the FLAB nanoscaffold, capable of integrating diagnosis and therapy into a single system.
The structure incorporates iron oxide nanoparticles, liposomes, a specific recognition aptamer, and the fluorescent dye BODIPY, enabling both targeted drug delivery and imaging-based tracking.
Experimental assays demonstrated high selectivity, induction of apoptosis, and efficient internalization, reinforcing the platform’s potential as a flexible theranostic tool for cancer.
In addition, the results indicated that encapsulating cisplatin within FLAB increased the drug’s efficacy against lung cancer cells by up to 100-fold, while significantly reducing toxicity in healthy cells. This combination of greater potency and fewer side effects highlights the clinical impact that theranostic systems such as FLAB may have, paving the way for safer and more personalized therapies for the treatment of aggressive tumors.
The article was authored by Norma Lucia Buriticá Zuluaga, Gustavo Penteado Battesini Carretero, Yuli Yohana Serna Torres, Sergio Hiroshi Toma, Flavia Carla Meotti, Beatriz dos Santos Cugnasca, Koiti Araki, Alcindo Aparecido dos Santos, Henning Ulrich, Hernan Chaimovich, and Iolanda Midea Cuccovia.
Read the full article in ACS Applied Nano Materials: Theranostic Nanoscaffold for Targeted Delivery of Cisplatin
