Estudo e desenvolvimento de nanorradiofármaco à base de aptâmero anti-MUC1 para diagnóstico precoce de processos carcinogênicos de mama

Abstract

Breast cancer and the type of neoplasia that causes more deaths among women around the world. One of the most prevalent barriers in the oncology area that corresponds to the high morbidity rate is the absence of early detection of the carcinogenic processes, especially in cases of triple negative breast cancer. Non-discovery of a cancer below the level detectable by current screening tests, including by means of blood samples, points to the real need for innovative technological tools that are specifically targeted to the tumor microenvironment, with minimal disruption to healthy tissues. The use of aptamers is an evolution of target-directed therapy, presenting a considerable level of sensitivity to particular substrates, such as mucin 1 (MUC1). In this study, the anti-MUC1 aptamer was used as a drug delivery system (DDS) for a radioactive polymeric nanoparticle (NP) in the imaging of TNBCs. Thus, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs loaded with the anti-MUC1 aptamer and labeled with technetium-99m were used for a biodistribution study and imaging of TNBC. The results confirmed that the NP was successfully obtained, with a mean size of 262 nm, according to the dynamic light scattering data. The biodistribution assay in induced animal models with TNBC showed that although there was a high capture by intestine (30%), the DDS developed had a high tumor uptake (5%) and with great in vivo imaging properties, corroborating the possibility of use of this DDS as an imaging drug for TNBC.