The effectiveness of the photodynamic therapy it is limited by the lack of oxygen in solid cancers. Now, researchers from the OXIGENATED project, financed with European funds (with 920,000 euros) and led by researchers from the Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), have created drug nanocarriers to deliver oxygen to the tumor.
This strategy could improve the therapy efficacy photodynamics and contribute to its greater efficiency in the treatment of cancer patients. The project has also been recognized by the European Commission as a success story.
A key advantage of photodynamic therapy is that it is highly specific.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) combines light with a photosensitive organic molecule (the photosensitizer): “When photosensitizers are administered to a tumor and irradiated with light, transfer energy to oxygen As explained by the project coordinator, Sergio Moya.
“This can induce a series of reactions that cause the destruction of malignant cells and activate the immune system”, highlights the lead researcher. This mechanism could contribute to the removal of the tumor.
A advantage key to PDT is that it is extremely specific. By restricting light and photosensitizers to the tumor, they can be avoided many of the Collateral damage al tejido sano from other regions of the body. However, for PDT to be successful, oxygen is essential.
Sergio Moya, researcher at the CIC biomaGUNE. / CIC biomaGUNE
“The difficulty, in this case, is that tumors are usually characterized by limited oxygen availability,” says the scientist. “If we could increase the availability of oxygen for the photosensitizing action, we could improve the result of PDT,” he points out.
Achieving Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy
Finding new ways to transport oxygen has been the main purpose of the project launched in March 2019 and carried out with the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
Hemoglobin-based nanoparticles were developed, the proteins present in red blood cells that naturally carry oxygen
Moya puts it: “Our goal, from the beginning, was to find a new way to transport both oxygen and photosensitizers to the malignant tissue. We saw that increasing the availability of oxygen in the environment of the photosynthesizing agent to initiate oxidation reactions would improve the efficacy of photodynamic therapy.”
To achieve this, the project team developed nanoparticles to hemoglobin basethe proteins present in erythrocytes or red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen through the body naturally.
The unmodified hemoglobin It cannot be administered directly to the body, as it can cause side effects. Hence, the researchers’ work consisted in the design of nanoparticles with hemoglobin nucleiwhich could be used to deliver oxygen safely and without unwanted effects.
Thus, the team succeeded in trapping hemoglobin in polymeric or protein matrices, a technique that has been shown to prevent exposure of hemoglobin in the bloodstream, while preserving its ability to transport and deliver oxygen.
Promotion of atraumatic techniques
By improving the effectiveness of PDT, Moya and his team hope to offer a alternative attractive to chemotherapy and other more aggressive antineoplastic methods. The project, scheduled for completion in August 2024, has already shown that this is eminently possible.
“Until now, the experiments were carried out with cell cultures in vitro”, maintains the researcher. In the next phase of the project, they will elaborate themalive, as proof of concept to demonstrate the functionality of these nanoparticles”, he indicates.
In addition to reducing the financial burden on healthcare systems, minimally aggressive and effective treatments, such as optimized photodynamic therapy, will improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients, as reported in the presentation note.
Fuente: CIC biomaGUNE
Rights: Creative Commons.