UM reports breakthrough in nanomedicines’ biofate in vivo

A research team led by Prof Zheng Ying at the University of Macau’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) has discovered the prolonged circulation and elimination mechanism of crosslinked polymeric micelles in a zebrafish model, providing scientific support and guidance for the rational design and optimisation of injected nanomedicines, the public university said in a statement yesterday.

“Their finding can help researchers improve the efficacy of nanomedicines and reduce toxic and side effects,” the statement said, noting that the study has been published in Biomaterials, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Elsevier.

The statement pointed out that in recent years a myriad of nanoparticle carrier systems (nanomedicines) has emerged, but few products have achieved successful clinical application. The main reason for this gap, according to the statement, is the lack of understanding of the behaviour and biofate of nanomedicines in vivo.

Because it is difficult for light (visible light and fluorescent light) to penetrate thick tissues, the in vivo tracking of nanomedicines in rodents is severely limited by the restricted imaging possibilities within these animals, the statement underlined, adding that in order to address this challenge, the team used FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) imaging in combination with a visual zebrafish larvae model to realise in vivo quantification and visualisation of intact polymeric micelles.

“Through this technique, they revealed the behaviour and elimination mechanism of polymeric micelles in vivo at both whole organism level and cellular molecular level,” the statement said.

“After dissociation in vivo, the polymer micelles are quickly eliminated through the hepatobiliary pathway and excreted to the gastrointestinal tract, while it is difficult to eliminate the intact polymer micelles out of the body.

“The study can help researchers understand the delivery of nanomedicines in vivo and optimise the drug delivery system, thereby improving drug efficacy and reducing toxic and side effects,” the statement said.

The study is supported by the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund and UM’s research fund. Tao Jinsong, a PhD student at the ICMS, is the first author of the study, while Zheng Ying is the corresponding author, the statement noted, adding that other individuals who have made important contributions to the study include UM master’s students Wei Zhengjie and Yan Xingyang, PhD student He Yuan, ICMS professor Simon Lee Ming-Yuen, Faculty of Health Sciences professor Ge Wei, and Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences professor Wang Xueqing.

The research article is available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961220304269?dgcid=rss_sd_all

This image provided by the University of Macau (UM) yesterday depicts a UM research team’s breakthrough in nanomedicines’ biofate in vivo.