The nanocarriers of green tea in the fight against cancer

Many of us drink green tea, as it possesses remarkable healing properties: antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-aging and anti-cancer. At the moment the researchers from Singapore has decided to develop anti-cancer properties of tea to the next level, developing nanocarriers based on green tea, which contain a cure for cancer. The first tea was used for highly efficient drug delivery into cancer cells. Tests in animals showed more effective tumor reduction than use of simple drugs, as well as reduced accumulation of the last in other organs.

In the new delivery system, developed by the Institute of bioengineering and nanotechnology A*STAR, used epigallocatechin gallate, a powerful antioxidant and catechin contained in green tea is used to treat cancer and other diseases.

"We have developed media based on green tea, and by itself, the media has anti-cancer properties and can boost cancer treatment when used together with the protein drug," says Dr. Motoichi Kurisawa (Motoichi Kurisawa), chief scientific researcher and Director of the study.

One of the major drawbacks of chemotherapy is that it also kills healthy cells in the surrounding tissues and organs. The media provide a more secure treatment, acting as a homing missile that aims to diseased cells and releasing the drug, destroying the cancer. However, the amount of drugs that they can deliver, is limited, so you need a large number of carriers, so that the treatment process was effective. Media that is used currently, at best have no therapeutic value in the worst case, can cause side effects if consumed in large quantities. This way, based on green tea carriers – very good development.

- The carrier is made of an oligomer of EGCG to hide drugs. The surface is made of poliatilenglikola, molecules that hides the carrier and prevents its destruction by the immune system before you reach the goal.

Researchers are currently developing technology for clinical application.