Iranian Scientists Develop New Generation of Anticarcinogenic Medicine http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9002076045

Iranian researchers at the University of Medical Sciences of Golestan province in association with their colleagues from Tarbiat Modarres University and Khatam ol-Anbiya Hospital took an important step towards developing a new generation of vaccines and designing gene carrier systems.  "The purpose of this study was to design a nano-system to carry gene to animal cell," Dr. Amir Qae'mi, lecturer at School of Microbiology-Nanotechnology of Golestan University of Medical Sciences, told the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council. 

"Considering the abilities and advantages of this carrier in comparison with those of all other carriers that have so far been developed (such as its very low production cost and harmlessness), it can become a very useful and effective vaccine-therapy system." "In this study, some genes of human papillomavirus type 16 that cause cancer were firstly produced. Then, the ability of the genes as immune stimulant was improved by bioinformatic design.In the next stage, a nano-carrier for lambda bacteriophage (virus infected by bacteria) with the ability to convey in animal cells was designed and produced," he added. 

"After the necessary settings on the genes (conveying capability, ability to diffuse into various animal cells, and toxicity), nano-carries that carried the desired genes were designed and synthesized. Next, they were reproduced after the required settings were adjusted on them and their capability in in-vitro ambient was approved. In in-vivo studies, cervical cancer models were optimized on mouse models." The nanoparticles used in this research (lambda bacteriophage) are much more harmless and biocompatible than the materials used in previous researches due to their natural characteristics.

[also see...Iran ranks 1st in producing international scientific articles http://www.irna.ir/ENNewsShow.aspx?NID=30338597&SRCH=1 Iran Develops New Medicines to Cure Cancerous, Arthritis Patients http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9001220984