The researcher of the Polytechnic University of Valencia Erika Pineda Ramírez has received a Marie Curie (MSCA) postdoctoral grant for the development of ‘NanoGlue’, a new project whose main objective is improve cancer treatmentespecially triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult forms to treat.
He will do it with new ones adhesive nanoparticles which will allow cancer cells and the immune system to communicate better, thus increasing the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack tumor cells.
Under the coordination of Professor Ramón Martínez Máñez, recent National Research Award winner, Pineda’s work will focus on the use of nanotechnology as immunotherapy to selectively eliminate tumor cells.
“Our goal is to create nanoparticles to enhance the immune system’s ability to attack and destroy tumors“, highlighted Pineda, CIBER BBN researcher at the Interuniversity Research Institute in Molecular Recognition and Technological Development (IDM) at the UPV.
Reduce the risk of side effects
The expert explains, in a statement, that the main advantage of the project lies in its high precision and selectivity, which will result from the chemical design of the nanoparticles. “We expect this to improve not only the effectiveness of the treatment, but also could reduce the risk of side effectsminimizing damage to healthy tissues. Furthermore, this approach could be combined with other therapies, opening new opportunities in the field of nanomedicine,” adds Pineda.
The project began last October and will conclude in 2027. In its development, the IDM-CIBER BBN Institute team will have the collaboration of Dr. Juan Miguel Cejalvo Andújar, researcher at the CIBER Cancer (CIBER ONC) at the Institute of INCLIVA Health Research, and Cristina Alonso Sánchez, from the company OWL Metabolomics.
NanoGlue is part of the ARISTOS program of CIBER, which has received funding from the Horizon Europe research and innovation program of the European Union, within the framework of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions.