Summary
Nanotechnology has grown at an exponential rate in the last decade, finding a large application in the biomedical field. Nanoparticles are emerging as effective drug delivery tools, since they overcome most limitations of free therapeutics - while offering a series of physical/chemical advantages. Among engineered nanomaterials, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have shown a growing potential as a therapeutic platform since they offer both the properties of selenium (Se) and the ones of a nanoscale system. SUNSET project aims is to design and develop a hydrogel-based nanocomposite containing multi-functionalised SeNPs, to use as an effective nanoplatform for cancer gene therapy. The designed system will be evaluated in resistant melanoma, specifically BRAF mutated lesions, which represent 66% of the cancer cases and are those that show resistance to currently available therapies, causing most cancer deaths. Here, the synthesis of SeNPs is followed by surface functionalisation with a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) and their embedding in the polymeric phase. All the materials will be synthesised through green chemistry routes, to guarantee a low environmental impact of the procedure and its scalability and reproducibility. The anticancer activity of the nanocomposite will be evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the combination of RNAi technology, nanomedicine and biocompatible materials – selenium and natural hydrogels – will be useful to gain a more efficient therapy, overcoming the main current challenges in the care of resistant melanomas. Moreover, the simplicity of the fabrication and the possibility to scale up the procedure, make the proposed system possibly attractive for clinical applications, promoting European Scientific Excellence. Lastly, I will have the possibility to start new cross-disciplinary collaborations that will pave the way for my future research career.
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| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101103122 |
| Start date: | 01-06-2023 |
| End date: | 31-05-2025 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | - 187 624,00 Euro |
Cordis data
Original description
Nanotechnology has grown at an exponential rate in the last decade, finding a large application in the biomedical field. Nanoparticles are emerging as effective drug delivery tools, since they overcome most limitations of free therapeutics - while offering a series of physical/chemical advantages. Among engineered nanomaterials, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have shown a growing potential as a therapeutic platform since they offer both the properties of selenium (Se) and the ones of a nanoscale system. SUNSET project aims is to design and develop a hydrogel-based nanocomposite containing multi-functionalised SeNPs, to use as an effective nanoplatform for cancer gene therapy. The designed system will be evaluated in resistant melanoma, specifically BRAF mutated lesions, which represent 66% of the cancer cases and are those that show resistance to currently available therapies, causing most cancer deaths. Here, the synthesis of SeNPs is followed by surface functionalisation with a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) and their embedding in the polymeric phase. All the materials will be synthesised through green chemistry routes, to guarantee a low environmental impact of the procedure and its scalability and reproducibility. The anticancer activity of the nanocomposite will be evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the combination of RNAi technology, nanomedicine and biocompatible materials – selenium and natural hydrogels – will be useful to gain a more efficient therapy, overcoming the main current challenges in the care of resistant melanomas. Moreover, the simplicity of the fabrication and the possibility to scale up the procedure, make the proposed system possibly attractive for clinical applications, promoting European Scientific Excellence. Lastly, I will have the possibility to start new cross-disciplinary collaborations that will pave the way for my future research career.Status
SIGNEDCall topic
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01Update Date
31-07-2023
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