Liquid Crystal Pharmaceuticals Making News

A new drug concept is making headlines this week, coming from the laboratories of Kent State University, Summa Health System and IC-MedTech Inc. A collaborative effort between these three institutions has culminated in two patent applications for drugs that show promise for treating cancer, herpes and other diseases, based on the pharmacologic properties of liquid crystals.

The group filed applications for a Liquid Crystal Pharmaceutical (LCP)-based anti-tumor drug called Tolecine and another for a formulation that combines Tolecine and another LCP called Apatone. The ground-breaking technology utilizes the properties of lyotropic liquid crystals, or organic liquid crystals. Examples of naturally occurring lyotropic liquid crystals that are essential for life include DNA and cholesterol. Biological membranes also exhibit liquid crystalline behavior.

The low toxicity and unique mechanism of action of these LCPs contribute to their promise as new drugs. Already, Apatone has been granted orphan-drug status by the FDA (August 2007), for the treatment of metastatic, or locally advanced, inoperable bladder cancer.

_Source:

Kent State University. Researchers Develop New Drug Paradigm: Liquid Crystal Pharmaceuticals. September 6, 2007. http://cms.kent.edu/media/NewsReleases/LCP.cfm