Domestic researchers have developed technology using NANO to enhance cancer treatment efficacy and increase the efficiency of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) therapeutics similar to COVID-19 vaccines.
A research team led by Professor Yeom Ji-hyun from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed 'chiral NANO paint' technology, which imparts mirror-image isomerism to the surface of NANO materials for the first time. The team also succeeded in improving the delivery efficiency of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) therapeutics by collaborating with Professor Jeong Hyun-jeong's research team at KAIST. The results of this study were published in the international journals 'ACS NANO' and 'ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.'
The proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that make up our bodies have a property known as chirality. Chirality refers to structures that cannot coincide when reflected in a mirror, much like left and right hands, and is a crucial characteristic of biomolecules that act in a specific direction. Even identical components can have entirely different effects if chirality differs, potentially causing side effects in severe cases.
For example, the drug thalidomide has two chiral forms: the right-handed (R-form) and the left-handed (S-form). The R-form thalidomide was effective in alleviating morning sickness, while the S-form can cause side effects leading to fetal malformations. Thus, chirality has been a critical factor in drug development, but research related to chirality has remained limited to the small molecule level, with challenges in applying it to higher-level bio materials.
In response, the research team developed 'chiral NANO paint' technology that can be applied to any NANO material, solving this problem. They used this technology to impart chirality to magnetic NANO particles used in cancer treatment.
The anti-cancer hyperthermia treatment method injects magnetic NANO particles into cancer cells and generates heat by applying a magnetic field to destroy the cancer cells. To maximize the treatment effect in this method, cancer cells must absorb more NANO particles.
The research team confirmed through experiments that right-handed (D-chirality) NANO particles were absorbed more by cancer cells than left-handed (L-chirality) particles. As a result, the anti-cancer effect increased fourfold compared to existing treatment methods. The researchers also revealed through computer simulations and cell experiments that chirality changes the interaction between cancer cells and NANO particles, increasing absorption rates.
Additionally, the research team applied the chiral NANO paint technology to mRNA therapeutics. While mRNA therapeutics deliver genetic information to cells to induce direct protein synthesis, the instability of the delivery agent had limited therapeutic effectiveness. The researchers confirmed that imparting chirality to the delivery agent increased the cell delivery efficiency of mRNA by more than twofold.
Professor Yeom Ji-hyun noted, "This research presented a method for enhancing the performance of bio NANO materials and synthesizing innovative NANO materials of various sizes and shapes," and added, "In the future, we plan to continue research and development of a next-generation bio platform for diagnosing and treating various diseases such as cancer and COVID-19, utilizing these chiral NANO materials."
References
ACS NANO (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c14460
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c00920