OREANDA-NEWS  Specialists from the National Research Technological University MISIS and the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov of the Ministry of Health of Russia have developed an innovative approach to the treatment of malignant neoplasms. The development is based on the use of nanoparticles that are sensitive to a specific balance of oxidized and reduced substances inside a malignant cell. This will allow the drugs to target the diseased cells and cause ferroptosis — regulated cell death.

"The proposed compositions are iron oxide particles coated with a polymer shell. It consists of compounds that include two sulfur atoms (disulfides)," Timur Nizamov, co—author of the study, junior researcher at the laboratory of Multifunctional Magnetic Nanomaterials at NUST MISIS, told Izvestia.

According to the scientist, the shell of the nanostructure is opened inside the cancer cell. After its destruction, the iron (Fe3+) atoms inside are released. Together with disulfides, they mutually reinforce each other and deplete the reserves of the reducing enzyme — glutathione. This provokes oxidative stress in the cancer cell. As a result, she dies.

The experts highly appreciated the prospects of the new approach, noting its advantage in combining the concept of targeted drug delivery, the susceptibility of substances to the redox potential of malignant formations and the targeted effect of active substances.

The research of scientists was supported by a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and a grant from NUST MISIS, won under the program of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia "Priority-2030", the national project "Science and Universities".