University of Arizona (U of A) researchers have developed a new formulation of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel that more effectively targets tumors while reducing damage to healthy tissue. The new formulation, detailed in a study published in Nature Cancer , is a nanovesicle-based formulation that chemically links paclitaxel to sphingomyelin, a naturally occurring lipid in cell membranes.

“Paclitaxel is potent and kills cancer cells, but to unleash its full therapeutic potential, we have to address its toxicity,” said Jianqin Lu, PhD, associate professor in the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. “That means finding a better way to get it to tumor cells while also making it stay around longer. This platform is based on a technology that modified the drug to better reach and penetrate

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