Synthesis of nanodiamond-daunorubicin conjugates to overcome multidrug chemoresistance in leukemia

An artistic rendering of ND-R conjugates approaching a cancer cell. ND particles (green) consist of green spheres representing carbon atoms, while DNR molecules, consisting of teal (carbon), blue (nitrogen), gray (hydrogen), red (oxygen) spheres, are attached to the surface of the ND. When resistance develops in cancer, drug efflux can become a serious issue by removing intracellular therapeutics, as shown by blue arrow depicting the efflux of DNR by efflux pumps (yellow). However, ND-enabled delivery has demonstrated the potential to overcome drug efflux and improve treatment outcome, as shown by the ND-mediated DNR entering the nucleus of the cancer cell.172