HsrELPnano · Healthcare applications of Stimuli-Responsive Elastin-Like Polypeptide Nanocarriers
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-08-01 → 2023-07-31
- EU contribution
- €187,572
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
Healthcare applications of Stimuli-Responsive Elastin-Like Polypeptide Nanocarriers
Traditional chemotherapy might be effective but the associated side-effects and toxicity cause a huge negative impact in patient's life or even death. The development of nanocarriers to host those drugs until they reach the target tissue helps to increase the benefit-risk balance and reduce the side effects. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are an excellent opportunity to build nanocarriers due to their biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, drug encapsulation and localization possibilities. In the other hand, these systems are disassembled upon dilution and thus their stability can be compromised when injected into the bloodstream or a tissue. These ELP-NC hybrids are especially interesting because they add the inorganic features (fluorescence, magnetic or pH/redox responsive properties) to the peptide-based assemblies. The contribution of this proposal rely on the development of new possibilities and tools in the biomedical field, enhancing the quality of future drug formulations and therefore contributing in a small way to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The objectives of this project are focused on the understanding of how ELP nanocarriers can be stabilized by using metal-based nanoparticles, the characterization of the so-called hybrid ELP nanoparticles chemo-physical properties, and their capability to load a cargo that can deliver a treatment in vivo.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
One of the main challenges in drug delivery is the fabrication of carriers that possess a molecular trigger or property that induces tumor cell death or activates the release of the drug cargo from the vehicle once it has reached the desired place of action. Elastin like polypeptides (ELPs) are genetically engineered protein polymers with a reversible ability to from nanoparticles by phase separation when they are above its transition temperature (Tt), while below Tt they remain solubilized. My proposal aims to study a cutting-edge finding about a recently discovered thermal pathway-dependent assembly of ELPs and translate it into innovative solutions in drug delivery. This unique feature allows protein payloads to partake in the co-assembly itself making possible to encapsulate and protect the macromolecular cargoes in the nanoparticle interior. Additionally, I will expand this encapsulation possibilities to magnetic nanoparticles. HsrELPnano will enlarge the scope of the pathway-dependent co-assembly of ELPs. A further understanding and control of these assembly mechanisms will contribute to expanding the toolbox of stimuli-responsive systems, especially to their application as drug delivery systems. The final goal is to design novel ELP nanocarriers that can deliver a treatment in vivo under specific stimuli as pH, redox environment by therapeutic agents and magnetic hyperthermia. To carry out this project, ELPs will be engineered to assemble into nanoparticles above physiological temperature followed by internal crosslinking to retain their structure also below the Tt. Since the crosslinkers can be designed to render this susceptibility to specific triggers the coacervates will disassemble under these stimuli, releasing their payload within the target tissue. This action will enhance my future career prospects and skills, fulfilling an end-to-end training from synthesis to application, which is highly appealing in this multidisciplinary field.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN · EindhovenCoordinatorNetherlands
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union