The physiological microenvironment of solid tumours is normally characterized by poor perfusion and high metabolic rates. As a consequence, many regions within tumours are transiently or chronically hypoxic and acidic. A number of anti-tumour therapies have been generated which exploit the acidic microenvironment of tumours such as pH-sensitive liposomes, polymeric micelles and nanogels for pH-sensitive drug release. However a need exists to improve on the delivery of anti-tumour therapy to tumours and particularly to intracellularly deliver anti-tumour agents directly into the tumour cells, whilst avoiding delivery into cells of healthy tissue.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham are overcoming this, through having developed a technology that uses GAG-binding enhanced transduction (GET) peptides for sustained and highly efficient intracellular delivery of an-tumour agents directly into the tumour cells.
