Final Report Summary - LUNAMED (NOVEL LUMINESCENT UPCONVERSION NANOPARTICLES FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC NANOMEDICINE)
In this project, potential applications of a relatively new 'fluorescence' technology based on the use of infrared-excited up converting labels, that has much promise for advanced biomedical applications, has been explored. This allows multiple activities, including cell targeting, imaging and therapeutic functionalities. The areas investigated include facile ultra sensitive detection and imaging of cells, and therapy. To reach these goals, under-explored lanthanide-doped up converting nanoparticle-based probes were synthesized and functionalized for bioactivity by attaching carefully selected molecules to their surfaces. These nanoparticles present the particularity that they emit efficiently visible light under infrared excitation. Infrared excitation is a major advantage because it doesn´t cause damage to biological tissues and it is not absorbed by biological materials so it can reach deeper penetration in the body and minimizes the fluorescence backgroung.
Since ten years ago, the potential use of nanoparticles as multifunctional sensors or potential smart drug-delivery vehicles in biology and medicine has gained more and more importance, affording special types of multi-functionalized and bio-compatible nanoparticles. The focus in nanoparticle design has shifted to more complex nanoscopic core–shell architectures potentially useful for biomedical applications, for example as smart sensor materials or in the field of drug targeting. This interest in multifunctional biocompatible nanoscopic systems has triggered a strong synthetic progress in the combination of supramolecular surface chemistry and nanoparticle synthesis, with such a farfetched ultimate goal like smart bombs, that is, nanoscopic vehicles which are capable of safely being incorporated within the human body, carrying a poisonous drug to tumor cells only, and releasing the drug load exactly at the location needed, thereby minimizing the collateral damage still so common in cancer therapy. This project studied different approaches to the enhancement of the fluorescent efficiency of the nanoparticles, and therefore, in an improvement of their applications in biomedicine.
In the outgoing phase of the project, at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), the fellow was trained in the preparation methods of novel up converting nanoparticles that promise minimal perturbation of living systems. The researcher gained state-of-the-art expertise in nanotechnology and had access to a diverse learning environment encompassing spectroscopy, inorganic chemistry, synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles. In particular, she acquired new knowledge mainly in two points:
- Synthesis of composite nanoparticles:
- Modification of the nanoparticles to provide for therapeutic function.
In the return phase the fellow demonstrated the application of the nanoparticles for optical imaging of cancer cells and photodynamic therapy. Different functionalizations were studied and the uptake of cancer cells and healthy cells for different functionalized was compared. Finally photodynamic action was demonstrated by using the visible emission of the nanoparticles to excite the photosensitizer. This way the destruction under infrared excitation (which allows for higher penetration depths) was demonstrated.
The work presented in this project has great impact on society and on the economy. There are many applications of fluorescent nanoparticles in scientific, medical and industrial areas. These areas where such labels are used, include biotechnology (proteomics, genomics, high throughput drug screening) forensics and security (fingerprint detection, monitoring for drug abuse, tagging of explosives, anti-forgery marking of documents), biosensing (detection of chemical and biological warfare agents, pollution monitoring), medicine (contrast agents for tumor detection, screening of tissue samples), electronic communications, computing, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy.
In addition, the development of such applications requires the collaboration of multidisciplinary groups. In this context, the presence of a researcher with a strong training in the luminescent mechanisms of fluorescent nanoparticles as well as in the preparation of such systems, is an advantage in order to facilitate the understanding and collaboration between the different groups, and thus, in the development of the applications mentioned above.
Since ten years ago, the potential use of nanoparticles as multifunctional sensors or potential smart drug-delivery vehicles in biology and medicine has gained more and more importance, affording special types of multi-functionalized and bio-compatible nanoparticles. The focus in nanoparticle design has shifted to more complex nanoscopic core–shell architectures potentially useful for biomedical applications, for example as smart sensor materials or in the field of drug targeting. This interest in multifunctional biocompatible nanoscopic systems has triggered a strong synthetic progress in the combination of supramolecular surface chemistry and nanoparticle synthesis, with such a farfetched ultimate goal like smart bombs, that is, nanoscopic vehicles which are capable of safely being incorporated within the human body, carrying a poisonous drug to tumor cells only, and releasing the drug load exactly at the location needed, thereby minimizing the collateral damage still so common in cancer therapy. This project studied different approaches to the enhancement of the fluorescent efficiency of the nanoparticles, and therefore, in an improvement of their applications in biomedicine.
In the outgoing phase of the project, at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), the fellow was trained in the preparation methods of novel up converting nanoparticles that promise minimal perturbation of living systems. The researcher gained state-of-the-art expertise in nanotechnology and had access to a diverse learning environment encompassing spectroscopy, inorganic chemistry, synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles. In particular, she acquired new knowledge mainly in two points:
- Synthesis of composite nanoparticles:
- Modification of the nanoparticles to provide for therapeutic function.
In the return phase the fellow demonstrated the application of the nanoparticles for optical imaging of cancer cells and photodynamic therapy. Different functionalizations were studied and the uptake of cancer cells and healthy cells for different functionalized was compared. Finally photodynamic action was demonstrated by using the visible emission of the nanoparticles to excite the photosensitizer. This way the destruction under infrared excitation (which allows for higher penetration depths) was demonstrated.
The work presented in this project has great impact on society and on the economy. There are many applications of fluorescent nanoparticles in scientific, medical and industrial areas. These areas where such labels are used, include biotechnology (proteomics, genomics, high throughput drug screening) forensics and security (fingerprint detection, monitoring for drug abuse, tagging of explosives, anti-forgery marking of documents), biosensing (detection of chemical and biological warfare agents, pollution monitoring), medicine (contrast agents for tumor detection, screening of tissue samples), electronic communications, computing, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy.
In addition, the development of such applications requires the collaboration of multidisciplinary groups. In this context, the presence of a researcher with a strong training in the luminescent mechanisms of fluorescent nanoparticles as well as in the preparation of such systems, is an advantage in order to facilitate the understanding and collaboration between the different groups, and thus, in the development of the applications mentioned above.