Descrizione del progetto
Nanocostrutti non immunogenici come strumento terapeutico per il trattamento del cancro
Il progetto TROJANANOHORSE, finanziato dal CER, intende sviluppare nanosistemi terapeutici e diagnostici (teranostica) innovativi, multifunzionali e sicuri, non immunogenici, da utilizzare nel trattamento del cancro e nell’imaging cellulare. Il concetto del progetto si basa su un nanosistema recentemente sviluppato con un nucleo terapeuticamente attivo, che è stato convalidato contro la leucemia. Il nanosistema si basa su un guscio lipidico a doppio strato non immunogenico derivato dalla membrana di una cellula tumorale autologa. Gli obiettivi del progetto attuale comprendono la costruzione del nanosistema teranostico, seguita dalla valutazione dell’efficacia terapeutica e della specificità nell’individuazione del bersaglio. Lo studio verificherà la sicurezza e la biodegradazione del nanocostrutto ed esaminerà le applicazioni di immaginografia biomedica e diagnostica, creando uno strumento teranostico completo.
Obiettivo
Nanomedicine tools for cancer treatment comprise many nanosized systems, so far developed with smart functions such as efficient drug delivery and cell targeting abilities. However they remain still undercharacterized in terms of immunogenicity, potential toxicity due to the materials itself or the unwanted release of drugs. To overcome these challenges this project aims to develop a new generation of multifunctional therapeutic and diagnostic (thus theranostics) nanosystems displaying non-immunogenicity, improved cancer treatment, cell imaging, and high safety for the hosting organism. The innovative concept behind this approach relies on a core-shell nanosystem with a therapeutically active core, i.e. a TrojaNanoHorse (TNH), here validated against leukaemia. The injectable TNH have a lipid bilayer shell derived from autologous cancer cell membrane, naturally non-immunogenic. The hemocompatibility, antithrombogenicity, and targeting ability with antibodies toward malignant blood cells will be proved during this project. Studies will show the zinc oxide nanocrystal core activation developing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) for cancer killing, and its green fluorescence emission. The whole TNH would go beyond the state-of-the-art due to its nature-derived biomimetic shell, absence of drugs, its safety and biodegrading fate, and green luminescent emissions for diagnosis. This project will also develop novel set-up for non-immunogenic therapy and diagnosis, impacting on future technology, new standardized protocols for nanomaterial safety assessment, and study chemical and biological mechanism of ROS development effects on cancer cell. Achieving the ultimate goal of a multifunctional TNH will require multidisciplinary expertise in chemistry, material science, biology, medicine and engineering, opening new horizons as nanomedicine tools for efficient cancer therapy with strong scientific, technological and socio-economic benefits.
Campo scientifico
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologynanomedicine
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialsnanocrystals
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinecardiologycardiovascular diseases
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyleukemia
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-STG - Starting GrantIstituzione ospitante
10129 Torino
Italia