Novel Nanocarriers to Enhance the Therapeutic Properties of Nucleic Acids
RESEARCH PROGRAMME
P3: Nanotechnology for healthcare
PhD PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The field of nanomedicine has brought a huge field of possibilities in the development of novel approaches for the treatment of rare diseases. In this context, the combination of a nucleic acid therapeutic with a nanocarrier can make feasible the development of novel therapies, as the intrinsic challenges in the delivery and uptake of nucleic acids can be overcome.
The project will be mainly focused on the regulation (up- or down-) of non-coding RNAs, being miRNAs, or lncRNAs, e.g., with the introduction of miRNA mimics, siRNAs, or gapmer-type oligonucleotides within the context of a nanotherapeutic approach. For the development of those nanosystems, three key parameters will be first taken: introduction of chemical modifications in the oligonucleotide with a DNA/RNA synthesizer to enhance their incorporation into the nanoparticle, the synthesis of the core system nanoparticles, and the biological evaluation in cell culture experiments. Different diseases might be studied, such as pancreatic cancer, uveal melanoma, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Other parameters will also be evaluated, such as e.g., activity, stability, and selectivity.
On the other hand, the base of the nanoparticle will also be evaluated as the employment of albumin to enhance the selectivity properties towards the targeting diseases (targeting moieties such as Ab or aptamers can also be introduced in the outer sphere of the nanoparticle), as well as the combination with hyperthermia in metal-based nanoparticles to enhance the therapeutic properties.
The preparation of nanoparticles and functionalities presenting the best potential as therapeutics, will be optimized in flow processes during a secondment in the company Synthelia.
Due to the enormous impact of the mRNA vaccines in 2020, the field of nucleic acid therapeutics has exponentially grown in interest. Therefore, the competencies acquired by the IDEAL PhD student during this project will be extremely valuable in academia and industry. What is more, her/his competencies will be further improved through different means, such as a secondment in a European research group, national and international congresses, and summer schools, among other activities.
APPLICANT’S REQUIREMENTS
The candidate should have experience in chemical synthesis and material science to address the challenges of the project better. Experience in the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of nanomaterials is highly recommended. A biological background is also highly appreciated, as the behavior of the nanoparticles in the different biological processes has to be studied.
Additionally, we are looking for motivated and proactive candidates who can work in collaboration with her/his labmates and contribute to the smooth functioning of the research group.
RESEARCH GROUP DESCRIPTION
Our research group, the NanoBiotechnology Group, is mainly focused on the use of bioactive molecules and nanoparticles in nanomedicine and nanotechnology. The group deals with several research lines centered on the use of modified oligonucleotides to create new nanomedical tools and sensors. Particularly, we are mainly interested in pancreatic cancer, uveal melanoma, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
RESEARCH SUPERVISOR
Dr Álvaro Somoza
alvaro.somoza@imdea.org
Research Group website: https://nanociencia.imdea.org/nanobiotechnology/group-home/
Other websites: www.nanobioimdea.com