Development of EXtracellular-based artificial bio-nanoparticles: a novel Targeted vector with high potential in cancer ThERapy

In spite of a growing toolbox of therapies, including classical (radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery) and emerging (immunotherapy, precision medicine or hormone therapy) treatments, cancer is a multifaceted global health issue that continues to demand new solutions. The advent of nanotechnology has added nanoparticle (NPs)-based approaches to the available toolbox in cancer therapy.

Indeed, we now have NPs with extraordinary properties, including drug loading, antibody functionalization and remote activation capabilities.

However, these promising advances have so far failed to materialize in the clinic, largely due to a lack of selective delivery to tumors.

DEXTER attempts to change this situation by combining recent multidisciplinary advances in the fields of nanomedicine and extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Specifically, DEXTER aims to develop new procedures to create bioartificial EVs that maintain selective targeting properties after loading them with therapeutic NPs.

These artificial EVs have the potential to overcome the limitations of using native EVs, whose targeting and immune system-evading properties are compromised after loading with NPs. For this, fundamental problems need to be resolved to realize their potential for application in the clinic.

In particular, there is a clear lack of understanding regarding the stability of exosomes during long-term storage as well as their interactions with cells from the immune system in their application in vivo.

DEXTER will shed light on the key factors that govern the fate of NPs-loaded exosomes, providing clues to modify them in order to achieve a strong enhancement of their ability for selective delivery of therapeutic loads to tumors.

The developing of DEXTER in the host institution will allow me to mature and acquire new research lines, developing new competences in nanotechnology and chemical technology research, and will be crucial to encourage my independency in this stage of my career.