HYMADE focused on the development of capsules and engineered colloidal particles for drug delivery, combining mesoporous colloids, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique and virosomes. The capsules and particles developed during the project were investigated with a view toward their use in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and uveitis. The overarching aim of HYMADE was to employ a combination of hybrid materials to fabricate advanced drug delivery systems with controlled release and effective targeting to relevant biological entities, such as tumors. Our investigations also aimed to gain understanding of the self-assembly process of hybrid materials and insight into the transport properties of the drug delivery systems developed during the project. The biological fate of the drug delivery systems, along with their drug release, degradation and therapeutic efficiency were studied in vitro and in vivo with state of the art imaging techniques including confocal laser scanning microscopy and positron emission tomography. To achieve these goals, we relied on an international multidisciplinary team of scientists at the forefront of materials science, nanoparticle self-assembly, physics, chemistry, biophysics and molecular imaging. HYMADE was based on the exchange of Early Stage and Experienced Researchers between European and non-European academic institutions, and our team comprised investigators from Germany, Austria, France, Spain, the USA, Argentina and Armenia. HYMADE provided seconded researchers with unique and dynamic opportunities for professional, scientific, and personal development to enhance their career perspectives and generate highly skilled personnel at the interface of the materials and biomedical sciences.
