Platelet membranes to be used to coat anti-cancer drugs

The isolated platelets are treated to extract the platelet membranes, which are then placed in a solution containing the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (Dox).

The solution is compressed to create nanoscale spheres made up of platelet membranes with the drug.

These spheres are then treated so that their surfaces are coated with another effective anti-cancer drug named "TRAIL".

"When released into a patient's bloodstream, these pseudo-platelets can circulate for up to 30 hours — as compared to approximately six hours for the nanoscale vehicles without the coating," the authors noted.

In mice, the researchers found that using the pseudo-platelet drug delivery system was significantly more effective against large tumours and circulating tumour cells.

"This combination of features means that the drugs can not only attack the main tumour site, but are more likely to find and attach themselves to tumour cells circulating in the bloodstream – essentially attacking new tumours before they start," said Quanyin Hu, a PhD student in the joint biomedical engineering programme.

"We think the technology can be used to deliver other drugs such as those targeting cardiovascular disease," the authors concluded.

The study was published in the journal Advanced Materials.