Iran-Made Tilmanocept Nanomedicine, Revolution in Cancer Diagnosis
Tilmanocept uses a polymer macromolecule carrying a radioisotope to bind to receptors on the surface of cancer cells and, with scanning, shows the exact location of infected lymph nodes. This technology prevents unnecessary surgeries and the resulting complications.
This drug can be used for breast, lung, genital and other cancers that metastasize through the lymphatic system. The technical knowledge for producing this drug, which was monopolized by the US since 2013, has entered the clinical phase by the Iranian specialists.
Incorrect or late diagnosis of lymph node involvement in cancer forced surgeons to remove extensive tissues, which led to complications like weakening of the immune system and blood circulation. Tilmanocept, with its high accuracy, solves this challenge and makes the need for old methods obsolete.
Unlike FDG-based radiopharmaceuticals, which also bind to non-cancerous cells, Tilmanocept, with its peptide structure, greatly increases the accuracy of detection. Its small molecule compared to antibody-based radiopharmaceuticals reduces the risk of allergic reactions.
In a relevant development in 2023, the Iran-made ‘Paclinab’ anticancer medicine produced by using nanotechnology had attracted customers in different foreign countries.
“The albumin nanoparticles bound with paclitaxel (Paclinab) of our company designed and produced to treat cancer tissues have found success in the domestic markets and the market growth of this knowledge-based product has been so high that it was welcomed internationally and its exports started from the very first year,” said Navid Nateqian, the co-founder and a member of the board of directors of Nanodarou Pajouhan Pardis company.
He added that the anticancer nanomedicine has been produced for the treatment of breast, lung and pancreas cancers with the efforts of the researchers of the nanotechnology company.
“By penetrating into the cancerous tissue, the nanomedicine prevents the progress of tumor and destroys the cancerous tissue, and due to the nano dimensions of the drug, its effectiveness is higher and its side effects are less than similar medicine,” Nateqian said.
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