Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha

The main objective of the research group consists in the use of nanoparticles as therapeutic agents either by their own pharmacological actions or as carriers for other therapeutic molecules including small drugs and /or siRNA. The biological targets for the use of these multifunctional nanoparticles cover two cancer types: glioblastoma and prostate cancer and also excitotoxic death which is one basic mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.

In the case of cancer, we have been able to reduce simultaneously, using specific siRNAs,  to about 10% of control values up to 3  proteins involved in cancer proliferation and survival signaling potentiating the action of antitumoral drugs such as temozolomide and docetaxel. These results have been obtained both in commercial cell lines as well as in cell lines and organoids derived from patient tumors. Moreover, several of the nanoparticles are able to cross the blood-brain barrier in mice.

Regarding excitotoxicity, we have several nanoparticles that have a neuroprotective effect by themselves against excitotoxic neuronal death and that can be scaffolds for future therapeutic molecules against neurodegenerative diseases.