Project title: Implementation of multifunctional nanomaterials for the early detection and treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia using non-invasive techniques (acronym NanoMED LeuKemist) Project Code: PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2426 Contract No.: 236/01.10.2015 Financing: State budget Contractant Authority: Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI Budget: 550.000 Lei Period: October 2015 - September 2017 Institution: Center for Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy, Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University Project Leader: Sanda Boca-Farcau, PhD Project Summary: As the acronym indicates, the NanoMEDLeuKemist project stands at the interface between medical sciences (detection and treatment of cancer) and nanotechnologies (nanomaterials fabrication, conjugation with drugs and functionalization with biomolecules). Centered on an original investigation which is based on an innovative approach to detect and treat a specific type of cancer by exploiting the unique properties of nanostructured materials, this project aims to implement a new, nanotechnology-based approach for cancer management on cellular models, in vitro. Specifically, the project proposes to design a type of spectroscopic encoded gold nanoparticles that are suitable for the targeted delivery of drugs currently used for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Combining the optical properties of these nanoparticles with their chemical specificity and biofunctionalization will offer the possibility to guide such nano-carriers at the desired location and simultaneously track them by their optical response in vitro. The capability of visualizing these nano-carriers directly in biological media through non-invasive spectroscopic methods will facilitate the managing of the drug dosage for specific individual administration, which is critical for attaining a maximal therapeutic effect in any drug-responsive tumor system. |