Many serious diseases are caused not by viruses or bacteria, but by proteins inside the body that stop working properly. Proteins are essential molecules that help cells communicate, grow, repair damage, and stay alive.
In a healthy body, proteins are carefully made, shaped, and removed when they are no longer needed. However, when proteins become damaged, wrongly shaped, produced in excess, or build up in the wrong place, they can interfere with normal cell function and trigger disease.
Conditions such as cancer, dementia, and autoimmune disorders are often driven by these abnormal proteins.
Treating diseases caused by faulty proteins has been one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine. Many of these proteins are often described as “undruggable” because they do not respond well to traditional drugs.
Some are hidden deep inside cells, some are too large or oddly shaped, and others interact with many normal proteins, making it hard to target them without causing side effects. As a result, doctors currently have very limited options for stopping the damage these proteins cause.
A new perspective article published in Nature Nanotechnology now describes a promising approach that could change this situation. Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, Columbia University, and Henan University have outlined a new way to remove harmful proteins from the body using specially designed nanoparticles.
The work was led by Professor Bingyang Shi, a Chair Professor in Nanomedicine at UTS, working with Professor Kam Leong from Columbia University and Professor Meng Zheng from Henan University.
The researchers explain that instead of trying to block or weaken abnormal proteins, their approach focuses on removing them entirely. This idea is based on the body’s own natural recycling system, which normally breaks down old or damaged proteins. The challenge has been finding a way to guide disease-causing proteins into this system without harming healthy cells.
To solve this problem, the team developed a new type of engineered nanoparticle known as a nanoparticle-mediated targeting chimera, or NPTAC. These nanoparticles are extremely small and can be designed to recognize specific proteins linked to disease.
Once attached, the nanoparticles help direct these harmful proteins into the body’s protein disposal machinery, where they can be safely broken down and removed.
This approach builds on earlier research first reported in Nature Nanotechnology in late 2024. In the new article, the researchers describe how NPTACs can be adapted to target a wide range of proteins, both inside cells and outside them.
This is important because many existing therapies struggle to reach certain tissues, especially the brain, or cannot effectively deal with proteins located outside cells.
One of the major strengths of this nanoparticle-based system is its flexibility. The researchers describe it as a modular platform, meaning it can be quickly adjusted to recognize different proteins by changing its surface design.
This makes it easier to adapt the technology for different diseases. The nanoparticles can also be designed to target specific tissues, reducing the risk of unwanted effects on healthy parts of the body.
Another important advantage is that the technology is built using nanomaterials and production methods that are already familiar to regulators and industry. This could make it easier to scale up manufacturing and move the technology toward clinical use.
The researchers also note that the nanoparticles could potentially combine treatment and diagnosis in the future, allowing doctors to track disease progression while delivering therapy at the same time.
Early laboratory studies have already produced encouraging results. The researchers report successful preclinical tests against proteins such as EGFR, which plays a major role in driving tumor growth, and PD-L1, which helps cancer cells hide from the immune system.
These results suggest that the technology could be useful in treating cancer, neurological diseases, and immune-related disorders.
When reviewing and analyzing the study findings, the most important takeaway is the shift in how nanoparticles are being used. Rather than acting only as carriers for drugs, these nanoparticles function as active therapeutic tools that directly remove disease-causing proteins.
This represents a significant change in thinking and could help overcome many of the limitations faced by current treatments.
However, it is important to note that this work is still at an early stage. Most of the results so far come from laboratory and preclinical studies. Further testing will be needed to confirm safety, effectiveness, and long-term outcomes in humans.
Even so, the approach offers a strong proof of concept and addresses key barriers that have slowed progress in treating protein-driven diseases.
With the market for targeted protein degradation therapies expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, this technology could play a major role in future precision medicine.
By offering a new way to remove harmful proteins rather than simply blocking them, NPTACs may open the door to treatments for diseases that currently have few effective options. The research highlights how advances in nanotechnology could reshape the way doctors approach some of the most complex and devastating illnesses.
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