Dr. Zakrzewski on Investigation of IT848 Nanotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies

Johannes Zakrzewski, MD, associate member, the Center for Discovery and Innovation, pediatric stem cell transplant attending physician, Hackensack University Medical Center, Zakrzewski Lab, discusses the investigation of a nanoframework-based delivery system for IT848 in hematologic malignancies. 

At the 2022 ASH Annual Meeting, investigators presented preclinical data on a hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated gold nanoframework (AuNF) system for the CD44-targeted delivery of IT848, a novel small molecule with potent anti-lymphoma and -myeloma properties that targets the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB).

Investigators developed multiple in vitro and in vivo assays to compare traditional small molecule inhibitors with the novel optimized nanoparticle version. The nanoparticle-based system produced a more specific delivery of the molecule to cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, Zakrzewski explains. Since the nanotherapy allows for an increased uptake of the drug, the biologic effect is enhanced, leading to a change of cellular expression of genes that are affected by the drug, Zakrzewski emphasizes. 

Additionally, investigators observed an improvement for in vivo assays in mice models with T-cell lymphoma. Overall, delivery of IT848 through the targeted nanoparticle-based system increased activity in these preclinical models, Zakrzewski concludes.