Search

As one of the most common cancer treatments used in treating patients, chemotherapy has saved countless lives. However, due to the lack of specificity provided by conventional chemotherapy, healthy tissue as well as tumour tissue is destroyed as a result of collateral damage. The side-affects reduce the quality of life of patients so much so, that in some cases, they refuse the potentially lifesaving treatment altogether. The underlying problem with conventional chemotherapy lies in the fact it is not discriminant enough in targeting cancerous cells. This thesis presents a nanoparticle copolymer complex that is capable of actively targeting cancer cells and limiting drug release until an external stimulus "activates" the complex. The targeting manifests itself through the enhanced permeation and retention effect between nanoparticles and cancer cells, and magnetic localisation at the target location in vivo. Activation is triggered by radio wave induced inductive heating of an iron oxide nanoparticle core that causes a structure change in the grafted copolymer, releasing drug bearing proteins. The novel grafted copolymer has been meticulously designed to reversibly immobilise drug bearing proteins and undergo a structure change at a temperature of 42.5 ˚C, above that of human body temperature, but below that of hyperthermic temperatures. Ultimately, this nanoparticle copolymer complex would be administered to patients via injection or consumption, magnetically localised in tumour locations within the body using external magnets, and selectively taken up by cancer cells due to the EPR effect. When particles have accumulated in the desired site, a harmless alternating magnetic field would be induced in target areas around the body and the drugs released. If successful, this complex treatment could provide an effective delivery system for many types of chemotherapy molecules while eliminating side effects of treatment completely.