COMPOSITIONS FOR TREATING CANCER, PREPARATION AND USES THEREOF.
The present application relates to activable inorganic nanoparticles which can be used in the health
sector, in particular in human health, to disturb, alter or destroy target cancerous cells, tissues or 5 organs. It more particularly relates to nanoparticles which can generate a surprisingly efficient
therapeutic effect when concentrated inside the tumor and exposed to ionizing radiations. The
invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย a population of nanoparticles as
defined previously, as well as to their uses.
10 BACKGROUND
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all
deaths) in 2008 (World Health Organization). Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases
that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumors and neoplasms. Cancer is 15 the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. The growths often invade surrounding tissue
and can metastasize to distant sites. Metastases are the major cause of death from cancer. Deaths from
cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 13.1 million deaths in 2030.
Cancer treatment requires a careful selection of one or more intervention, such as surgery, 20 radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The goal is to cure the disease or considerably prolong life while
improving the patient's quality of life.
Radiations of various forms such as X-Rays, gamma-Rays, UV-Rays, laser light, microwaves, electron
beams as well as particle beams of, for example neutrons, carbon ions and protons, have been used to
treat malignant diseases. Some of said radiations have been used in such applications, in combination 25 with radiosensitizers. Electromagnetic and ionizing radiations are indeed capable to break the DNA
molecule of the cell, thereby preventing said cell from growing and dividing. This effect can be
explained by the action of particles or wave which will create ionization that releases electrons and
free radicals travelling within a defined volume and generating energy deposit into this volume.
30 US 7,367,934 B2 relates to a method for enhancing the effects of radiations directed to a tissue or a
population of cells in an animal. This method ประกอบรวมด้วย a step of การให้ an ปริมาณ of metal nanoparticles to said animal to achieve a concentration in said tissue or said population of cells of the animal of at least about 0.1% metal by weight; and then a step of irradiating the animal with radiation directed to said tissue or said population of cells, wherein said radiation is in the form of X-rays of
35 about 1 keV to about 25,000 keV.
2
WO 2011/127061 Al relates to a method for enhancing the effect of radiation directed to a tissue or a population of cells ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย the steps of: (1) การให้ to an animal an ปริมาณ of high-Z particles, the high-Z particles ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย a targeting molecule with an affinity for a targeted tissue or a
targeted population of cells and a high-Z element; and (2) subsequently irradiating the targeted tissue 5 or targeted population of cells with ionizing radiations; wherein the high-Z particles ถูกให้
to the animal in an ปริมาณ sufficient to achieve a concentration in the targeted tissue or targeted
population of cells of less than 0.05% metal by weight.
Inventors herein provide a new and powerful strategy to use their nanoparticles (herein below 10 described) which are able to achieve a very efficient alteration or destruction of target cancerous cells
in combination with ionizing radiations, when said nanoparticles are adequately selected and concentrated inside the targeted cancer site, as herein demonstrated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
15
Inventors now provide an advantageous composition ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย inorganic particles for use for treating cancer, in particular a composition allowing the destruction of more than about 30%, preferably more than about 44% or more than about 47%, even more preferably more than about 70%, of cancer cells in a tumor volume of a subject (histological response assessment) or inducing at least
20 more than 20% of tumor size reduction (anatomical response assessment) in a subject or inducing at
least more than 20% of tumor 18F-FDG SUV (Standardized Uptake Value) decline (metabolic
response assessment) in a subject, when the tumor of said subject is exposed to ionizing radiations.
Once ถูกให้, the volume (Vc) of the composition of the invention occupies between 2 and 50%
of the tumor volume (Vt). Each inorganic nanoparticle of the composition has a volume (Vin) having 25 an electron density at least 5 times the electron density of the corresponding volume 1 (Vwl) of water.
In a particular embodiment, a method for inducing in a subject suffering of a cancer (i) the destruction of more than 30% of cancer cells in a tumor volume or (ii) at least more than 20% of tumor size reduction is herein described. This method ประกอบรวมด้วย:
30 - การให้ in a subject suffering of a cancer a composition ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย inorganic nanoparticles,
each of said inorganic nanoparticle having a volume (Vin) having an electron density at least 5 times the electron density of the corresponding volume 1 (Vwl) of water, and
- exposing the tumor (targeted tissue or targeted population of cells) of the subject to ionizing radiations,
35 thereby inducing (i) the destruction of more than 30% of cancer cells in a tumor volume or (ii) at least
more than 20% of tumor size reduction when the volume (Vc) of said composition occupies between 2 and 50% of the tumor volume (Vt).
3
The present document further describes the use of inorganic nanoparticles to prepare a composition for
inducing in a subject suffering of a cancer (i) the destruction (pathological response) of more than
about 30%, preferably more than about 44% or 47%, even more preferably more than about 5 70%, of cancer cells in a tumor volume or (ii) at least more than 20% of tumor size reduction
(tumor shrinkage), when the volume (Vc) of said composition occupies between 2 and 50% of the
tumor volume (Vt) and when the tumor is exposed to ionizing radiations, wherein each inorganic
nanoparticle has a volume (Vin) having an electron density at least 5 times the electron density of the
corresponding volume 1 (Vwl) of water.
10
In a preferred embodiment, said volume composition (Vc) has an electron density of at least 3% of the electron density of the corresponding volume 2 (Vw2) of water, and even more preferably said inorganic nanoparticles provide more than 3x1022 electrons, preferably more than 7x1022 electrons, to the tumor mass.
15
In a further preferred embodiment, these inorganic nanoparticles provide more than 3x1022 electrons, preferably more than 7x1022 electrons to the tumor mass. In another preferred embodiment, the volume composition (Vc) (advantageously further) has an electron density of at least 3% of the electron density of the corresponding volume 2 (Vw2) of water (Figure 1).
20
Results presented for the first time in the context of the present invention now demonstrate that a composition ซึ่งประกอบรวมด้วย high electron density inorganic nanoparticles occupying between 2 and 50% of the tumor volume are able to induce at least more than about 30%, preferably more than about
44% or 47%, even more preferably more than about 70% of cancer cell killing when the 25 inorganic nanoparticles provide at least, preferably more than 3x1022 electrons, for example more than
about 3 .2x1022 electrons, preferably more than 7x1022, electrons to the tumor mass. Each nanoparticle
of the composition advantageously has an electron density at least 5 times the electron density of the
same nanoparticle compOsed of water molecules.
30 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
INORGANIC NANOPARTICLE