A new way to gradually release protein medicines into the body | ICT & health

In recent years, protein-based medicines have been increasingly used to treat diseases such as cancer and HIV. A problem with such medications is that the release occurs quickly and therefore the medication must be given relatively often. A team of researchers is now developing a new method in which proteins do not float around loosely, but form strong bundles. In this way, the release is delayed and the medicine does not have to be administered as often.

Proteins are very small (just a few nanometers in size) so they dissolve quickly. When you allow proteins to form larger particles (aggregates) in a controlled manner, they are released more slowly. This is currently done by methods such as jet milling and spray drying. The disadvantage of these methods, however, is that they can damage the chemical structure or function of the proteins.

A new way

Remco Tuinier, professor of Physical Chemistry at TU/e, and his colleagues are now at a new approach designed in collaboration with DSM Biomedical, a company focused on product development for biopharmaceutical product manufacturers. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) (polymers) is added to a mixture of small particles. Then the mixture is quickly frozen.

The PEG ensures that the proteins form aggregates of the correct size. These assemblies are set by freezing. The protein aggregates can then be packaged into even larger micron particles, which are often used in medical applications. And that ultimately ensures that the medicines are released more slowly and in a more controlled manner.

An important milestone

According to Tuinier, the discovery of the first microparticles was an important milestone in the development process. The researchers did not yet know how fast the freezing process would proceed. If this were too fast, the proteins would still be too small. “When we later discovered that changing the final temperature during freezing affected the size of the clusters, we realized that our research could be useful in the pharmaceutical industry.”

It is now clear that the new method can indeed be valuable in the medical world. For example, the number of injections that patients receive during cancer treatment can be reduced to far fewer injections, as the medicine remains active in the body for a longer period of time. The team is now working on the best way to do it.

It can be installed within a few years

Tuinier expects that the first medicine developed using the new method will be on the market within a few years. Since the polymers used are already approved for medical use, the development process can be shortened by several years.

The researchers are currently working with DSM Biomedical to develop a flexible approach to ensure the method is widely applicable. Tuinier: “Different types of proteins are needed to treat cancer or HIV, each with specific characteristics such as size and cost.”

Drug delivery management

Tuinier’s team is not the only researchers working on the regulation of drug delivery. At the end of last year it was announced that scientists from the University of Galway (Ireland) and MIT were jointly developing a program led by AI. robot design has developed. The robot will be able to carry medicine in the patient’s body for a longer period of time and deliver it to the right place. In addition, the implant can prevent fibrotic inflammation, an immune response from the body’s immune system to implants.