Project description
Computed-tomography cancer therapy
Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic imaging modality that combines X-rays to produce images of any part of the body. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the PERSEUS project comes to extend the usability of CT to treat tumours that are inaccessible by other methods, such as metastatic triple negative breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. PERSEUS plans to implement a new nanotechnology-based therapy using a nano-system that is activated by the CT beam and causes cancer cell death through heat and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, the release of cancer antigens has the potential to activate the immune system and generate anti-cancer immunity.
Objective
PERSEUS intends to implement a novel nanotechnology-based cancer therapy for deep-seated clinically unmanageable, drug-resistant and metastatic tumours. Practical use of nanotechnology in clinical cancer care is still in its infancy with a full potential yet to be realized. The therapy is based on a novel nano-system (NS) made of multifunctional 2D layered nanocrystals. The NS enables, under activation by computed tomography (CT), an effective multimodal therapy with minimal or no adverse effects. This novel paradigm uses CT not to eradicate cancer, but to trigger and to image the NS that locally activates non-mutagenic oncotherapies. The therapies delivered are excited by the conversion of low energy X-rays (i.e. CT) into heat, reactive oxygen species and radiosensitizing agents. X-ray irradiation can also induce immunogenic cell death with the exposure or release of neo-antigens to trigger an anti-cancer immune response.
The use of X-rays makes it possible to reach deep-seated tumours that are inaccessible by visible or near-infrared light-based therapies. In other words, CT is the spark that lights the match. This is a radical vision for an ambitious and high-risk project. The current proposal targets a range of cancer types including metastatic triple negative breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The NS is biocompatible and also totally inactive in absence of CT radiation, i.e. the NS becomes active only where the CT beam is delivered so minimizing side effects at distal sites.
The therapy is agnostic to the type of cancer and to gender incidence because it doesn't affect the body biochemistry. This is a second change of paradigm. PERSEUS vision is pursued by a multidisciplinary team composed of physicists, chemists, chemical engineers, biologists, physicians, pharmacologists and radiologists working together to develop an innovative nanotechnological approach to address unmet clinical needs.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyprostate cancer
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingcomputed tomography
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybreast cancer
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologycolorectal cancer
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologypancreatic cancer
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
EIC - EICCoordinator
00185 Roma
Italy