Korean researchers have succeeded in developing artificial target technology that can detect cancer cells with heterogeneity efficiently.

The heterogeneity of cancer cells in tumors has attracted attention as an essential concept for understanding and developing the resistance and recurrence mechanism for chemotherapy and target chemotherapy.

Dr. Kim Kwang-myung김광명 and his team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology한국과학기술연구원 (KIST) have produced a unique carrier (non-natural sugar precursor) based on a large molecular compound (dendrimer). They have succeeded in the development of artificial targeting technology of new concept cancer cells targeting heterogeneous cancer cells using metabolic glycoengineering-- reacting protein synthesis per sugar and synthetic chemical on the cell surface -- and Bioorthogonal copper-free click chemistry, the reaction of two molecules without a copper catalyst.

This technology transmits specific nanoparticles to cancer tissues to overcome the heterogeneity caused by the genetic diversity of cancer cells, allowing cancer cells to express artificial receptors and artificially target them.

KIST Professor Kim Kwang-myung

Professor Kim and his team made nano-sized metabolic precursors for the heterogeneous tumor-targeting strategy using bioorthogonal click chemistry in vivo (dendrimer-non-natural sugars) that can cause artificial receptors on the cancer cell surface through metabolism engineering in vivo cancer tissues.

Artificial target effect of cancer was observed by using synthetic membrane (liposome) with a phosphor that can specifically bind to an artificial receptor through biorthogonal click chemistry. The non-natural sugar delivery technology developed by the researchers has high biocompatibility and is capable of uniformly targeting heterogeneous cancer cells.

The researchers made it possible to artificially target heterogeneous cancer cells through a reaction that binds explicitly a chemically labeled receptor on the cell surface. It is expected to be able to overcome the resistance to cancer therapy due to the heterogeneity of cancer cells and to be used in the field of cancer treatment development in the future

"This study made it possible to optimize drug delivery using artificial targeting techniques with heterogeneous cancer cells,” Kim said. “I hope that it will prove to be useful for future research on the development of cancer drugs.”

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