Researchers believe that atomic-scale design of pharmaceuticals will be instrumental in producing more accurate and efficient drugs. Nanocarriers are engineered particles capable of holding tiny molecules inside their hollow interiors. Antibodies, which are bonded to the outer surface of these nanocarriers, function as markers to target specific cells or tissues or supply drugs to infected cells without affecting healthy cells. One of the key findings of the study was that a nanocarrier’s efficacy may actually be reduced by the addition of more antibodies.
To ensure the simulation results, the team conducted two different physical experiments. First one was an atomic force microscope study to measure the time of popping off of antibody bindings in an in vitro tissue sample. Another one was an in vivo experiment, in which the team used mouse models to study the binding between the nanocarriers and designated targets, and the efficacy of marker. The team achieved high-level of consistency in all three models, thus proving that its findings will be helpful in designing next-generation nanocarriers.