CONE Centre for Organic and Nanohybrid Electronics

Project description

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Each type of cancer requires a specific treatment regimen that includes one or more methods such as surgical resection, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Although this combination of therapies has been used for many years to treat both advanced and recurrent cancers, there are some specific types of cancer that are difficult to cure using conventional methods. An example is glioblastoma multiform, which is a type of malignant brain tumor. Glioblastoma is a fast-growing and aggressive tumor that is known to easily invade nearby brain tissue. Although oncologists consider surgical resection to be one of the most effective ways to fight cancer, in the case of glioblastoma it is much more difficult. Because glioblastoma develops into normal brain tissue, its complete removal is not possible. The cancer cells that are left behind cause the disease to relapse – studies show that this happens in 90% of patients. Mainly for this reason, the survival rate of patients with glioma is only 12-15 months, and in a 5-year perspective it does not exceed 5%.

The aim of the project is to develop a controlled release system for the combination of anticancer, neuroprotective and anti-edematous drugs based on collagen. Collagen is a protein that is the main component of the intercellular substance of animals. Collagen can be effectively used in the regeneration of brain tissue because it is biocompatible, biodegradable and non-toxic. Collagen can be used for the local release of therapeutic compounds, encapsulation of stem cells to extend their lifespan, and filling empty spaces after injury or surgery to serve as structural support and provide an environment conducive to the reconstruction of the nervous system. Although collagen-based materials are used in biomedical engineering, collagen-based drug carriers for regional chemotherapy of brain tumors have not been commercialized to date.