New Nanoparticle System Offers Hope for Aggressive Breast Cancer Treatment
MADRID,Oct. 10 – Scientists at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) have spearheaded the growth of a novel “theranostic” system – combining diagnosis and therapy – with the potential to revolutionize treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most challenging forms of the disease.
The research, a collaboration with the University of pavia (Italy) and the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands), utilizes lipid nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery vehicles. These extremely small structures are designed to transport the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin directly to tumor cells, maximizing effectiveness while minimizing side effects.
What sets this approach apart is its ability to together treat and monitor the drug’s impact in real-time using advanced biomedical imaging. This “theranosis” capability allows doctors to track treatment progress without invasive procedures.
Triple-negative breast cancer, accounting for 10-15% of cases, is known for its aggressive nature and resistance to conventional therapies. The nanoparticles are engineered with a specific peptide (cRGD, synthesized by the University of Pavia) that allows them to precisely recognise and bind to tumor cells, increasing drug concentration at the target site and sparing healthy tissue.
The nanoparticles are manufactured using microfluidics, a technique ensuring precise and reproducible large-scale production - crucial for future clinical request. The two-year project combined expertise in biotechnology,chemistry,and bioimaging,with the UCM’s ‘Nanobiotechnology for Life Sciences’ Laboratory (led by Professors Marco Filice and Marzia Marciello) coordinating the nanodrug synthesis,characterization,and evaluation.
Researchers believe this platform holds ”great potential” for developing more effective, safe, and personalized cancer therapies, and can potentially be adapted for other drugs and tumor types.
The next phase involves testing the technology in animal models to assess its effectiveness and safety before potentially moving towards preclinical and clinical trials with patients.
