Seeking the path to natural healing
TURMERIC, shrimp shells, beeswax and cocoa butter may sound like items belonging to the kitchen or, maybe, part of someone’s beauty regime.
But, at the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), these natural products are the cornerstones of a research seeking to improve the effectiveness of drugs and reduce side effects when treating a range of diseases, including cancer and diabetes.
Led by Professor Nashiru Billa, the acting head of the School of Pharmacy located at the campus in Semenyih, Selangor, a team of researchers are exploring new technologies that may be employed to improve the bioavailability — the degree and rate of absorption — of drugs into the body.
The team has been studying curcumin from turmeric and are looking into developing ways to deliver this effectively in dosage forms to treat colon cancer, specifically targeting tumour cells with minimal side effects, unlike with conventional chemotherapy.
“We are mainly using natural molecules, such as turmeric, chitosan from crab or shrimp shell, and pectin from the rind of orange in the construction of the delivery system. This ‘natural product’ is ideal as it is biocompatible, biodegradable and muco-adhesive, which means it sticks to the surfaces of the colon intestine. We then package these components in nanoparticles and deliver it to the colon, where it will act locally,” Billa shared.
“One of the issues with the treatment of cancer is that there is a negative impact due to the intense side effects of the chemotherapeutic agents. The fact that we are using curcumin means that the side effects are reduced significantly as it can be packaged in a way that specifically targets just the cancer cells in the colon and not healthy tissue.
“This is achieved by attaching antibodies on the surfaces of the nanoparticles that recognise and are attracted to colon cancer tissue. Furthermore, pectin also has anticancer properties when modified, as we have done here, so that the effects of curcumin are reinforced,” he explained.
Nanoparticles were of the order of one billionth of a metre and were the tiniest of all delivery systems, said Billa.
“They are constructed in our labs by an admixture of chitosan, pectin, curcumin and a cross-linker, which knits the components into nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have the ability to penetrate the cancer tissue after recognition Acting Head at the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Malaysia meant patients benefit from the therapy of the drug but have to contend with the side effects associated with it.
“I was fascinated by the application of nanotechnology in treating diseases — it was a new horizon, a new dimension when I was a student and I became fascinated by the various applications of nanotechnology and what it might be able to achieve. So, naturally, I delved into this area of research — that was my prime motivation,” he revealed.
Asked what are the next steps in his research, Billa said the next steps involved collating feedback to relevant pharmaceutical industry and other interested stakeholders.
“This partnership would prepare us towards possible clinical trials involving humans, which would in turn get the products readied for the market,” he said.
While the concept of drug delivery systems using nanoparticles is already out there, Billa said the version by his team at UNM was innovative because they relied on the use of ingredients that come from natural sources in their formulations.
“The core aim of our research is to improve drug effectiveness, in a manner that is costseffective and yields the least side effects, both of which are attractive to patients and the pharma industry alike.
“The long-term aim is to roll out this delivery system to other drugs with poor bioavailability,” he said.
“The natural approach we are taking in this research is unique and the benefits will not only be for the patient, but also provides a cost-effective solution for the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
The core aim of our research is to improve drug effectiveness, in a manner that is costeffective and yields the least side effects, both of which are attractive to patients and the pharma industry alike.