Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Monash University and Deakin University have developed a nanoinjection drug delivery platform designed to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into breast cancer cells, with the aim of reducing damage to healthy tissue.
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwide. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation involve systemic drug exposure, which can affect non-cancerous cells and lead to significant side effects. The new approach seeks to address these limitations by combining nanoarchaeosome-based drug encapsulation with silicon nanotube-based intracellular delivery.
The system uses thermally stable nanoarchaeosomes loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin, which are inserted into vertically aligned silicon nanotubes etched onto a silicon wafer. This configuration allows the drug to be delivered directly into cancer cells in a controlled and sustained manner. According to the researchers, the design improves therapeutic precision while maintaining biocompatibility.
Experimental results showed that the Nanoarchaeosome-Doxorubicin–Silicon Nanotube platform induced strong cytotoxic effects in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, while largely sparing healthy fibroblast cells. The treatment led to cell-cycle arrest and necrosis in cancer cells and significantly reduced angiogenesis by downregulating key pro-angiogenic factors involved in tumour blood vessel formation.
The researchers reported that the platform demonstrated an inhibitory concentration value that was 23 times lower than that of free doxorubicin, indicating higher potency at much lower doses. This reduction in dosage could translate into fewer side effects and lower treatment costs.
One of the key features of the platform is its long-term drug release capability, lasting up to 700 hours, alongside thermal stability and delivery precision. Unlike nanoinjection systems based on carbon or titanium nanotubes, the silicon nanotube design is inherently biocompatible and non-toxic, reducing the need for additional surface modifications and improving its suitability for large-scale applications.
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The findings have been published in Advanced Materials Interfaces, a peer-reviewed journal focused on functional materials and surface technologies. The paper was co-authored by Kaviya Vijayalakshmi Babunagappan, Subastri Ariraman, Jann Harberts, Vimalraj Selvaraj, Mukilarasi Bedatham, Narendran Sekar, Nicolas H Voelcker, Roey Elnathan and Swathi Sudhakar.
Commenting on the significance of the work, Swathi Sudhakar, Assistant Professor and Faculty Advisor for Clinical Engineering at IIT Madras, said, “This research could have transformative implications for healthcare delivery in low- and middle-income countries like India, where access to advanced cancer therapies remains limited by cost. By enabling targeted delivery of smaller doses with higher efficacy, the system can potentially lower the overall expense of cancer treatment and improve patients’ quality of life. The platform also aligns with national goals for affordable healthcare innovation and could eventually be adapted for use in treating other forms of cancer.”
The interdisciplinary team includes researchers from Monash University, Deakin University and collaborators from the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication. The work was supported by the IIT Madras–Deakin Joint Research Initiative, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Australian Research Council.
Outlining the next phase of the research, Roey Elnathan from Deakin University said, “This work lays the foundation for a modular drug delivery system. The next step is in vivo validation and evaluating how the platform performs across different cancer types.”
On potential timelines for real-world application, Nicolas H Voelcker from Monash University said, “We are expecting to see translation of this exciting and patented drug delivery technology over the next five years.”
The proof of concept has so far been demonstrated in in vitro cell culture studies and ex ovo chick embryo models, which confirmed the platform’s effectiveness and safety. Further research will focus on in vivo validation, long-term toxicity studies and regulatory assessments to support preclinical and clinical development.
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