Nanoparticles Offer New Pathway for Brain Tumour Treatment


A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Nottingham, has discovered a method of using electrically charged molecules to target and trigger self- destruction of cancer cells in hard-to-treat brain tumours.


Led by the School of Pharmacy at Nottingham, the team found a new way to harness the extraordinary capabilities of bio-nanoantennae - gold nanoparticles intricately coated with specialised redox active molecules - to induce programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in cancer cells on electrical stimulation. The discovery has the potential for the development of a spray treatment that can be used during surgery.


The research focused on patient-derived Glioblastoma cells, a formidable form of brain cancer, with a five-year survival rate of only 6.8% and estimated survival length of 8 months from diagnosis.the average length if survival for patients is estimated to be only 8 months from diagnosis. The ability of the bio-nanoantennae to specifically target


glioblastoma cells, leaving healthy cells unscathed opens up new possibilities for developing treatment for Glioblastoma during surgical resection of the tumour, when the bio-nanoantennae would be sprayed or injected.


The researchers, which included experts from the Schools of Engineering, Physics and Medicine have now established what is thought to be the first ‘quantum therapeutic’, which taps into the potential of quantum signalling to combat cancer.


Dr Frankie Rawsonfrom the School of Pharmacy said: “The team showed that cancer cells succumb to the intricate dance of electrons, orchestrated by the enchanting world of quantum biology. With the advent of bio-nanoantennae, this vision of real-world quantum therapies edge closer to reality. By precisely modulating quantum biological electron tunnelling, these ingenious nanoparticles create a symphony of electrical signals that trigger the cancer cells’ natural self-destruction mechanism.”


The team has now secured MRC impact acceleratory funding,


have filed patent, to begin translating the technology to this eventual clinical application. Further rigorous research and validation are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of bio-nanoantennae for human use.


“Treating Glioblastoma tumours has long presented challenges for clinicians and prognosis for patients is still poor, which is why any research showing the promise of a new effective treatment is hugely exciting. This research has shown the possibilities presented by quantum therapeutics as a new technology to communicate with biology. The fusion of quantum bioelectronics and medicine brings us one step closer to a new treatment paradigm for disease,” added Dr Ruman Rahman, School of Medicine.


The research was published in Nature Nanotechnology. More information online: ilmt.co/PL/x4D1


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Dual Research Grants Support Aspiring Scientists at ISSCR 2023


Krystyna Joyce, AMSBIO’s Marketing Manager, said: “The entries were so impressive that we ended up sponsoring two winners instead of one: Kerstin Filippi, a doctoral student at the University of Bonn researching in BAG3-associated muscle diseases, and Miriana Dardano, a developmental biologist and doctoral student at the Hanover Medical School conducting research with blood-generating heart organoids.”


At ISSCR - L-R: Miriana Dardano and Kerstin Filippi.


AMSBIO, a pioneer in delivering advanced solutions and services to accelerate stem cell research, sponsored the participation of two promising life scientists at the recent ISSCR 2023 conference held in Boston, USA. Originally intended for a single researcher, AMSBIO doubled the grant fund and bestowed two awards owing to the exceptional calibre of the submitted entries. As a result, these aspiring scientists had the opportunity to attend the conference, showcase their work through poster presentations, and contribute to the scientific discourse.


Miriana Dardano from the Zweigerdt Lab said: “It was great to be able to attend the conference. I loved attending the plenary sessions, especially the talks covering organoid- based technologies and advancements in embryogenesis, which were very pertinent to my research.” She added: “I sometimes found myself lost in this ocean of science, with overlapping sessions and complex topics, but in the end, I managed to swim around.”


Fellow travel grand award winner Kerstin Filippi from Dr Michael Hesse’s group was impressed by “How many important people in the field of stem cell research were there. I knew from the beginning that there were a lot of people who would be able to give me really helpful feedback and ideas for my work, and with whom I can connect for further projects.” She added: “I even found a new collaboration on investigating the heart specific cardiac phenotype of the Bag3P209L patient in more detail using organoids.”


Stem cells illustration. (courtesy: AMSBIO)


Ms Joyce added “We are proud to support innovation in research and of our partnership with Miri and Kerstin. We are expecting wonderful things from them in the future!”


Visit the AMSBIO website to read the full interview with Kerstin Filippi and Miriana Dardano about their experiences, as well as to find out more about their research including Kerstin’s use of AMSBIO’s Skeletal Muscle Differentiation Kit.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/nqdL and ilmt.co/PL/KeZW


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Study Highlights Risk Indicator for Liver Disease


A large scale study carried out by researchers in Vienna has shown the important value of repeated liver examinations using a novel method based on measurements of liver stiffness that can significantly improve risk assessment in patients with chronic liver disease.


While increasingly applied in clinical practice to determine the severity of chronic liver disease and inform treatment decisions, it had been unclear how to interpret changes in liver stiffness over time.


This long-term study, led by Georg Semmler, David Bauer, and Thomas Reiberger from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Department of Internal Medicine III at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, was conducted amongst a large cohort of patients with chronic liver disease.


Over the average observation period of around six years, a total of 8,561 liver stiffness measurements were performed in 2,508 individual patients. The researchers monitored the progression of the disease and determined the predictive power of changes in liver stiffness concerning liver decompensation (complications associated with liver disease) or the death of patients during the observation period.


The analysis conducted by the research team showed that monitoring the progression of liver stiffness over time was a better predictor of the risk of liver decompensation than single measurements and proved to be more informative than other methods commonly used to determine the severity of liver disease, such as the FIB-4 score or the MELD score. The team was also able to demonstrate how such changes could determine the extent to which the prognosis for chronic liver


disease patients improves or worsens when liver stiffness decreases or increases, respectively, by a given percentage.


“An understanding of the individual patient’s personal risk profile means that it is possible to initiate optimised, personalised treatment,” notes study principal investigator Thomas Reiberger, highlighting the significance of the findings. The incidence of chronic liver disease, and particularly fatty liver disease is increasing worldwide, which is strongly linked to risk factors such as overweight and obesity or alcohol consumption.


The study was published in Gastroenterology DOI:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.06.030


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/38W0 60900pr@reply-direct.com


Project Investigates Treatment Options for Brain Injury


A three-year collaborative project focused on preventing damage caused by swelling of the central nervous system (CNS) has received a US$400,000 grant from the Eshelman Institute for Innovation (EII).


Co-principal investigators, Dr Kevin Frankowski, assistant professor for the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (North Carolina) and Professor Roslyn Bill, professor of biotechnology at Aston University, (UK) will be leading research into development of treatments for traumatic brain injury.


Dr John Bamforth, Executive Director of the EII and a former graduate of Aston University, said: “We are extremely excited to see this collaboration begin. EII embraces bringing together the brightest and best scientists to solve major patient needs. Personally, it is also a delight to see the number one school of pharmacy in the US partner with Aston.”


Dr Frankowksi said: “The validation of non-surgical approaches to treat the CNS swelling that may occur following a stroke or traumatic brain or spine injuries remains a critical unmet medical challenge. Safe and effective treatment options are urgently needed for the millions of patients worldwide who suffer from these injuries every year. I am excited to partner with Roslyn Bill and her team to develop first-in-class small molecule candidates as potential therapeutic agents to treat the underlying cause of CNS swelling post stroke or accident.”


“It gives me unparalleled access to the medicinal chemistry expertise at EII and I’ll be working with a world expert in their neuropharmacology area, Kevin Frankowski. That will allow us to combine the discovery that I’ve made on the biological mechanism behind traumatic brain injury and Kevin’s deep knowledge of the chemistry. I can’t think of a better partner for that,” added Professor Bill. “This work


will get us closer to a medicine for people who’ve had a traumatic injury to the brain or spinal cord. There’s currently nothing available so the potential is huge.”


Established in 2014 with a $100 million commitment from Dr Fred Eshelman, the EII provides translational grant funding to Carolina faculty for therapeutic research focused on oncology, infectious disease and neuroscience (including rare diseases). It also welcomes ideas for devices and diagnostics and other therapeutic areas and services, encouraging collaborative research proposals across a variety of diverse disciplines, departments, schools and institutions.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/GeOy 61316pr@reply-direct.com


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