NanoGlue: adhesive nanoparticles to destroy tumours

Erika Pineda Ramírez, CIBER BBN researcher at the Interuniversity Research Institute for Molecular Recognition and Technological Development (IDM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València, has received a Marie Curie postdoctoral grant (MSCA) for the development of NanoGlue, a new project whose main objective is to improve the treatment of cancer, especially triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and tricky to treat forms. It will do so with new adhesive nanoparticles that will allow cancer cells and the immune system to communicate better, thereby increasing its ability to recognise and attack tumour cells.

Under the coordination of Professor Ramón Martínez Máñez, recent winner of the National Research Award, Erika Pineda's work will focus on the use of nanotechnology as immunotherapy to selectively eliminate tumour cells. "We aim to create nanoparticles to boost the immune system's ability to attack and destroy tumours," says Pineda.

The IDM researcher at UPV explains that the main advantage of the project lies in its high precision and selectivity, which will result from the chemical design of the nanoparticles.

"This is expected to improve not only the efficacy of the treatment but could also reduce the risk of side effects, minimising damage to healthy tissues. Furthermore, this approach could be combined with other therapies, opening up new opportunities in the field of nanomedicine," adds Erika Pineda.

The project began last October and will conclude in 2027. In its development, the IDM-CIBER BBN Institute team will collaborate with Dr Juan Miguel Cejalvo Andújar, Researcher of the Cancer CIBER (CIBER ONC) at the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, and Cristina Alonso Sánchez, from the company OWL Metabolomics.

The project is part of CIBER's ARISTOS programme (https://postdoc-aristos.com/), which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme within the framework of the Marie Skodowska-Curie actions.

Luis Zurano Conches / UPV Communication Area