Descripción del proyecto
Tratamiento basado en nanopartículas para el cáncer de mama
El cáncer de mama triple negativo representa cerca del 20 % de todos los casos de cáncer de mama y se caracteriza por su agresividad y su baja tasa de supervivencia. Dado que la mayoría de los tratamientos fallan, el proyecto financiado con fondos europeos HypoCyclo está buscando alternativas innovadoras. Los científicos proponen administrar una combinación óptima de quimioterapia y terapia fotodinámica (TFD) mediante nanopartículas. Junto con fármacos efectivos como el paclitaxel, las nanopartículas llevarán fotosensibilizadores y agentes liberadores de oxígeno para contrarrestar la hipoxia tumoral y mejorar la eficacia del tratamiento. La idea es combinar la administración de nanopartículas con láseres y fibra óptica que faciliten la administración de luz intersticial y peroperatoria. Los investigadores están contemplando un protocolo sencillo de síntesis de nanopartículas para garantizar la producción de bajo coste y por lo tanto a gran escala.
Objetivo
Among all breast cancers (BC) affecting female population worldwide, 20% is represented by Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype with very limited therapeutic options and poor survival. Seeking for innovative TNBC therapies, HypoCyclo aims at the optimal combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). We envisage novel, tailored cyclodextrin (CyD)-based polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) able to load “known” therapeutic agents and decorated with a photosensitizer as well as an Oxygen-Releasing Agent. HypoCyclo focuses on the very effective drug paclitaxel (PCX) presenting several treatment problems like water insolubility. Biocompatible, novel CyD polymers are expected to solubilize and encapsulate through non-covalent binding the drug of choice in order to implement PCX chemotherapy with PDT, through the decoration with a PS able to generate antitumor reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ. Indeed, PDT has become a very challenging yet feasible option thanks to the technological advances in lasers and fiber-optics allowing interstitial and intra-operative light delivery for the treatment of solid tumours, including BC. Finally, as hypoxia in BC tissue compromises standard chemotherapy and PDT, we will tailor our NPs with an ORA able to release oxygen in cells, enabling an alternative ROS source. The PCX loaded NPs will be completely characterized and tested in 2D and 3D TNBC models. Our goal is to keep the synthetic protocols simple, low-cost and green to facilitate industrial upgrade of the loaded multimodal NPs endowed with improved in vitro efficacy. Two partners, the SME Cyclolab and UNIBO, both already collaborating with the supervisor, will give the necessary support in mixed-CyD polymer synthesis and in the biological assays, respectively, guaranteeing a successful outcome. The project foresees a demanding training program for ER that will help him to become an independent researcher with a complete profile.
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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
00185 Roma
Italia