Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoFEITH (Nanoparticles for Fluorescence-Enhanced Imaging and Therapy of Breast Cancer)
Période du rapport: 2018-06-01 au 2020-05-31
This project may offer new possibilities for cancer detection, prevention, and treatment. The approach used here, based on fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared wavelength range, promises to enable real-time specific imaging that minimizes the harmful side effects of diagnostic/therapeutic methods used in current practice. The insights provided through this project may be highly transferable to the clinic, with the potential to benefit the quality of life of patients with BC, which is a leading cause of death among women. Novel treatment methods for aggressive BC also have the potential to reduce the burden of healthcare systems in Europe and worldwide, accompanied by financial benefits. The development and evaluation of the multifunctional nanoparticles explored in this project may also provide new opportunities for on-demand therapy and pave the way toward a new era of personalized nanomedicine.
The overall objective of the project was to synthesize nano-engineered particles based on gold (Au) nanobipyramids (AuNBPs) that dramatically improve imaging sensitivity and pave the way for novel high-performance diagnostic devices. Meanwhile, targeted chemotherapeutic drug delivery is integrated in the proposed nanostructures, aiming to optimize drug delivery to tumours and reduce harmful effects to healthy tissues, as well as making the nanostructures suitable for image-guided therapy.
We have reported the research findings of the project in a manuscript, which has been submitted for publication in a peer-review scientific journal. We also developed a website for the presentation of the project background and results and we have discussed the findings and promise of the project to the general public in 2 events.
The results of the project highlighted the potential clinical utility of our targeted multifunctional nanostructure for concomitant imaging/detection and treatment of breast cancer. Furthermore, the high flexibility of our nanostructure to several therapeutic modalities and targeting agents allows for modifications to improve further its potency and efficacy. For instance, in parallel to localized drug delivery, the AuNBP core of our nanostructures could also be used as a photothermal therapy mediator for multimodal treatment of aggressive subtypes of breast cancers. Therefore, further development and clinical testing of the proposed nanostructures could have the potential to lead to improved cancer detection and therapy.