A team of Spanish scientists has developed an intelligent nanodevice that lays the foundations for the development of new anti-aging therapies.
The device consists of nanoparticles that can selectively release drugs in aged human cells. It has potential use in the treatment of diseases involving tissue or cellular degeneration such as cancer, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, among others, in addition to accelerated aging disorders (progeria).
It could also be useful for developing cosmetic therapies for external use for improving skin and hair, as an anti-wrinkle or anti-aging treatment, or a UV radiation shield or to address alopecia.
The research was carried out by the Centro de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Mixed Unit Universitat Politècnica de València – Universitat de València; the Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (UPV-CSIC); the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CSIC/UAM); the CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER) and CIBER on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN).
Details of the work are published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
The nanodevice consists of mesoporous nanoparticles with a galactooligosaccharide outer surface that prevents the release of the load and only selectively opens in degenerative phase cells or senescent cells. The proof of concept demonstrates for the first time that selected chemicals can be released in these cells and not in others, says Ramón Martínez Máñez, researcher at the IDM.
José Ramón Murguía, a researcher at UPV-CSIC and also a CIBER-BBN member, explains that senescence is a physiological process of the body to eliminate aged cells or ones with alterations that may compromise their viability.
‘When we are young senescence mechanisms prevent, for example, the appearance of tumours, the problem is that with age senescent cells accumulate in organs and tissues, disrupting their proper functioning. The elimination of these cells would slow down the appearance of diseases associated with aging. Our work shows that we can develop a targeted therapy against these cells,’ he says.
The new nanodevices have been evaluated in primary cell cultures from patients with accelerated aging syndrome, dyskeratosis congenita (DC). Such cultures show a high percentage of senescence characterised by elevated levels of beta-galactosidase activity, an enzyme characteristic of senescent state.
The next step of this research is to test the device with therapeutic agents and validate it in animal models.