BRIN Develops Nanoparticles of Local Materials for Lung Cancer Therapy


Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) through the Radiation Process Technology Research Center (PRTPR) and the Research Center for Radioisotope Technology, Radiopharmaceuticals, and Biodosimetry is conducting research on the development of nanoparticles from local Indonesian materials for lung cancer therapy.

This is done because cancer is the second highest cause of death in the world, one of which is lung cancer with the number of cases reaching 2.48 million people. So BRIN conducted research on the development of Hydroxyapatite-Zirconium (Zr Dopped HAp) nanoparticles based on local Indonesian materials for lung cancer therapy.

Quoted from the Instagram page @brin_indonesia on Tuesday (16/4/2024), the nanoparticle raw material used is zirconium which is widely spread in Bangka Belitung and Kalimantan. In addition, biomass from animal bones is also used for hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp-N) as a drug delivery system. 

"Zirconium is used as a photosenticer to produce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that kill lung cancer cells through the use of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp-N) as a drug delivery system," wrote @brin_indonesia.

Principal Researcher of the Radiation Process Technology Research Center, BRIN Nuclear Power Research Organization, Dani Gustaman Syarif, said that the development of new drugs for cancer therapy in Indonesia has a high level of difficulty, but it is not something that is impossible to do.

"With supporting facilities, the process of translating drug research results in Indonesia to the clinical phase can run according to the required rules," said Dani.

More information regarding the development of nanoparticles from local Indonesian materials can be accessed on the Instagram account @brin_indonesia.