CIBBIM - Nanomedicine
CIBBIM – Nanomedicine. Drug Delivery & Targeting
Simó Schwartz
Researchers Ibane Abasolo Olaortúa, Carmen Domínguez Luengo, Eva Baldrich Rubio, Yolanda Fernández Amurgo, Petra Gener, Joaquin Seras Franzoso, Helena Pla Solans, Laia Foradada Felip, Elisa Llurba Olivé, Víctor Rodríguez Sureda, Olga Sánchez García, Ana Isabel Álvarez Mercado | Researchers in training Diana Fernandes de So Rafael, Helena Xandri i Monje , Anna Pérez Martin, David Camps Novi, Manel Ben Ismail | Nursing, technical and administrative staff Montse Capella Tomás, Laura Garcia Latorre, Aida Castellanos Paez, Natalia Garcia Aranda, Alicia García Robaina, Sandra Mancilla Zamora, Marc Macaya Font, Erica de la Serna Botello
Summary
The group on Drug Delivery and Targeting seeks on the one hand, the identification of new disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with special focus on cancer molecular pathways and in the physiopathology of low prevalent diseases; and on the other hand, the development of new drug delivery strategies as applied nanomedicine, with a particular interest into new targeting approaches for clinical applications and further, new diagnostic tools based on nanotechnology applications for clinical uses.
Among our projects are a new EuroNanoMed II project focused in nanomedicine applications involving SME’s in which animal models are being used for preclinical validation of new therapies directed against tumor cells (DiamESTar), and four additional projects, two of them from Marató TV3 (Nanofabry: focused in drug delivery systems for the Fabry disease and Pentri: for active targeting against cancer stem cells), two industry oriented projects (INNPACTO and RETOS) together with SMEs and focused into scale-up and preclinical validation of drug delivery systems including the establishment of GMP pilot lines and additional National grants. Several in vitro and in vivo cancer models have been generated by the group for preclinical testing of nanomedicines, including the generation of specific bioluminescent cancer stem cell models. Further, several projects are focused into the molecular mechanisms of low-prevalent diseases. Particularly, the study of the cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of lysosomal storage diseases and in other low-prevalence pathologies such as congenital heart disease. We have reported that imbalance of angiogenic-antiangiogenic factors is associated with developmental defects of the human heart. Finally, a new research line (DINA) has been opened with a main goal: the exploitation of nanostructures, nanomaterials and nanocomponents as transducers, biofunctionalization platforms and signal amplifiers for fast assay and biosensor development. A total of 14 patents have been issued by our group. Three patents from the group were either issued or advanced to National Phases in 2015. One related to new biomarkers as predictors of adverse reaction for implanted biomaterials, the second regarding the use of unilamelar vesicles for enzyme replacement therapy in lysosomal storage diseases and the third regarding a new biosensing system for clinical purposes.