Theranostic microplatforms for multimodal therapy

in human eye diseases, a new paradigm for the biomedical applications

Project Registration Code: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-4558

Starting date: 02/11/2020

Project End Date: 02/11/2021

Project duration (Month): 24

Project title: Theranostic microplatforms for multimodal therapy in human eye diseases, a new paradigm for the biomedical applications

Project Acronym: MicroPlatThera

Buget: 600.000 RON

Institution: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca

Project Leader: Assoc. Prof.dr.Rugină Dumitrița, dumitrita.rugina@usamvcluj.ro



Summary

This is a competitive renewal proposal of our PN-II-RU-TE-2014-1135 grant. Through the PN-II-RU-TE support, we have recently developed an exciting microsystem, which we believe will be an excellent subject for this competitive PED renewal. This novel self-reporting intraocular resveratrol-delivery system which could be used in conventional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy in eye diseases, recently published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces (September 2019), allows: (i) efficient encapsulation of resveratrol as therapeutic molecule; (ii) its fluorescent detection based on the encapsulated rhodamine 6G dye; (iii) internalization into RPE cells with a higher rate, more than 60%; (iv) exert anti-VEGF and anti-inflamatory effect in RPE cells exposed to mimicking conditions of eye diseases. We therefore would like to develop this microsystem to be an efficient microplatform for combined anti-VEGF/chemo/photodynamic/photothermal theraphy, in order to be able to release efficiently the encapsulated chemotherapeutics, generate free radical and heat at a specific target site in retina upon activation with light for photodynamic (PDT) and heat for photothermal therapy (PTT). We will use two human cellular eye models to evaluate the potential of these novel microplatforms.

Schematic flow-chart outlining the implementation of the theranostic microplatforms for

multi-modal diabetic retinopathy therapy