Project ID: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1696
Projector leader: Valentin Victor Jerca
Project type: National Funding
Project program: Research projects to stimulate the establishment of young independent research teams – TE competition 2019
Funded by: Unit Executive for Funding Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation
Contractor: Center for Organic Chemistry "Costin D. Nenitescu" of Romanian Academy
Start date: 14 January 2021
End date: 31 December 2022
Project abstract:
The present project aims at developing a theranostic platform based on red light responsive poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) as nanocarriers for improved drug delivery in cancer therapy. Cancer treatment with conventional cytostatics often suffers from low efficiency and occurrence of severe side effects. Therefore, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are imperative for detection and personalized treatment of cancer. Theranostic is defined as a material that combines the modalities of therapy and diagnostic imaging. POx has been studied extensively as highly potent platform to develop amphiphilic block copolymers due to several advantages, such as non-immunogenicity, no known antibodies in the human population, no organ accumulation and relatively low viscosity in aqueous solution. In addition, POx exhibit good biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and enable orthogonal functionalization possibilities, thus, allowing multiple possibilities to construct micelles nanocarriers for drug-delivery purposes. The azobenzene containing polymers offer tremendous advantages and opportunities over stimuli-responsive materials to interface with biomedical application, especially red-light responsive polymers that have photo pharmacological potential. Via the herein proposed objectives and activities, the multidisciplinary team of young researchers aims to demonstrate that by combining the best of POx and azobenzenes potential, the red-light responsive POx nanocarriers may represent a feasible solution in the construction of advanced theranostic platform for target drug-delivery systems.