Progetti di ricerca

Combining therapies for more effective cancer treatment is well established. Emerging approaches point to the tumour cells’ selective destruction by light excitation of suitable sensitizers. The combination of photodynamic (PDT), plasmon photothermal (PPTT) and gene therapies can result in synergic… Leggi tutto cancer treatment improving the targeting by photosensitizer (PS) light-switching at the disease area. For both applications, NPs have shown unique potential even if to obtain successful nanomedicines it is important to characterise the interactions with cells and adjust their design based on their behaviour in real biological environments. This multimodal approach can be extended to fabricate effective antibacterial materials combining the already proven efficacy of plasmon NPs with long-lived emitting molecules able to produce cytotoxic 1O2. Objectives: The project aims to develop multimodal hybrid nanomaterials (NM) combining different tools in a single carrier exploitable in different environments for cancer treatment and bacteria eradication. Distinctive features of these new nanohybrids (NHs) will be the ability to enter the cell nucleus upon light triggering and effectively perform multiple functions (PDT and PPTT) while also allowing imaging. The products are expected to be particularly useful for highly vascularized skin cancers, because of the great ability of NPs to target solid tumours by Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect and the greater efficacy of PDT towards surface tumours. However, many other medical applications will be feasible, wherever nuclear access is required. The antibacterial action will be performed by a new nanomaterial constituted by the NHs embedded into a suitably tailored polymeric matrix able to form thin films applicable to a plethora of non-planar objects. Work plan: The active components of NHs will be polyamidoamines (PAA), metalorganic PS and Au nanostars (GNS). These components’ choice stems from the recently observed ability of some cationic PAA-PS adducts to enter the cell nucleus upon a light stimulus and generate cytotoxic 1O2, together with the outstanding features of GNS in terms of plasmonic properties. These components will be integrated in core-shell NHs. For cancer treatment, the PAA will favour the cell membrane crossing, enabling NPs to overcome the endosome entrapment and gain nuclear access, so the therapeutic properties will be possibly enhanced. The very same NHs will be used to fabricate an integrated thin-film NM using polyvinylalcohol or chitosan-based hydrogels Consortium organization: The involved research groups retain the expertise on Au NPs, polymers and metalorganic PDT agents, as well as the equipment for in vitro studies necessary for the project development. As to the supply and management of bacteria, some existing long-standing collaborations will be strengthened and exploited.