# Smart and self-reporting clinical nano carriers for drug delivery

> **NIH NIH R01** · SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH · 2020 · $702,224

## Abstract

Abstract: The problem: Most cancers kill patients because of metastatic disease, which requires systemic
therapy. However, systemic therapy approaches suffer from dosing limitations – due to reaching unacceptable
cytotoxic side effects before complete tumor death. To address this deficiency, nanoparticles are particularly
promising – to deliver more drug to tumor cells while sparing non-tumor cells from drug exposure. An “ideal”
nanoparticle carrier would (i) be a clinically approved agent able to carry clinically approved drugs for facile
clinical translation, (ii) deliver drugs preferentially to tumors to attain highly efficacious concentrations without
systemic toxicity, (iii) have a drug release mechanism for controlled release, and (iv) provide confirmation of
drug delivery so physicians will know if efficacious quantities of drug were delivered, e.g. to adapt dosing or
predict response. Yet, more often than not, particles are not clinically approved; drugs are covalently coupled
to particles and require cleavage for release (altering approved formulations of both); there is no defined
release mechanism; or there is no way to monitor actual drug release and thus delivery of active drug in
patients. Proposed solution: We have developed a drug delivery method with potential “ideal” delivery
features. This method is based on clinically approved nanoparticles and is characterized by improved therapy
efficacy, a release mechanism triggered by the tumor, and the ability to self-report the release of the drug in
the tumor through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our nanocarriers are the clinically approved iron oxide
nanoparticle Feraheme and clinically used high molecular weight dextran. Both retain small hydrophobic drugs
through electrostatic interactions (i.e. without change in compositions) and release them in a tumor
environment. Our hypothesis is that the nanocarriers will deliver higher amounts of drugs selectively to tumors
as compared to free-drug and that imaging will be effective at monitoring drug delivery and release. In addition
to MRI multiplexed PET (mPET) will allow us to simultaneously image and quantify radiolabeled drug and
radiolabeled nanocarrier. In Aim 1, we will use mPET/MRI to quantitatively monitor delivery, release and fate of
drug and nanocarrier within orthotopic tumor models. In Aim 2, we will apply mPET/MRI to evaluate if targeted
therapy results in higher drug delivery compared to passive, non-targeted delivery, and in Aim 3, we will
explore if MRI of drug release can predict the therapy response by probing the tumors microenvironment and
receptiveness for nanocarrier-mediated therapy, tailoring nanocarrier-based therapy personally to each patient.
This approach will provide valuable insight into the in vivo kinetics of nanocarrier and drug that cannot be
obtained otherwise. We will obtain essential data for in vivo drug delivery and therapy response with high
potential to improve cancer therapy. This work can be ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9868929
- **Project number:** 5R01CA215700-04
- **Recipient organization:** SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** Jan Grimm
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $702,224
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-03-01 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9868929

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9868929, Smart and self-reporting clinical nano carriers for drug delivery (5R01CA215700-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9868929. Licensed CC0.

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