Researchers from Israel, Italy, Portugal, and Netherlands develop nanoparticle technology for dual-drug cancer treatment

Researchers from Israel, Italy, Portugal, and the Netherlands have developed a groundbreaking technology to deliver two different drugs simultaneously to tumour sites, Tel Aviv University announced on Sunday.

Cancer treatments often combine multiple drugs to boost effectiveness, but differences in their properties—such as degradation rates, circulation times, and tumour penetration—can hinder their simultaneous arrival at the tumour, reducing their combined impact.

To address this, the researchers designed a platform that enables the co-delivery of two drugs directly to the tumour site while sparing healthy organs, thus maximising therapeutic efficacy and minimising toxicity.

Published in *Science Advances*, the method employs biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles to transport drug combinations for treating specific cancers, including skin and breast cancers. These nanoparticles encapsulate the drugs to enhance their effectiveness.

Tests on 3D cancer cell models and animal models demonstrated that the nanoparticles selectively accumulated in primary tumours without damaging healthy tissues. Notably, they also crossed the blood-brain barrier to precisely target brain metastases.

The simultaneous delivery of both drugs proved significantly more effective than separate administration, substantially shrinking tumours and improving survival rates in laboratory mice.

The researchers concluded that this adaptable platform can carry various drug combinations that synergise to improve treatment for primary tumours and metastases, particularly those expressing the P-selectin protein.