Project
BioRuck-Tech
BioRuck is an intelligent drug delivery system, minimizing side effects while maximizing therapeutic effects, such as in the case of anticancer drugs.
Project Goal
The project aims to “package” the medicinal product in BioRuck, allowing it to be administered directly to the target site, such as a non-operable tumor. BioRuck gradually releases the medicinal product using a specific biochemical reaction, for as long as necessary, thereby minimizing toxicity throughout the body and acting only at the site of administration. The project focuses on developing a new method for synthesizing a thermosensitive intelligent triblock polymer PLGA-PEG-PLGA, and then devising a method for encapsulating the drug and delivering it to the target site.
Current stage of the project:
BioRuck is being tested as a carrier for camptothecin derivatives in in vitro studies using two high-grade glioma cell lines, T98G and U87MG, as well as the healthy cell line SVG. The in vitro studies are currently nearing completion, after which the preclinical research phase will begin.
Cancers:
Cancers are one of the leading causes of increasing deaths worldwide. According to data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the National Cancer Registry, the number of cancer cases has been steadily increasing in Poland since 1990. It is estimated that in 2025, the number of new cancer cases in our country will exceed 185,000 annually. Primary brain tumors constitute a heterogeneous group of cancers. Each year, over 2,500 new cases of primary brain tumors are diagnosed in Poland, of which approximately half arise from glial cells. Clinically important is the fact that these tumors exhibit diffuse, infiltrative growth, making radical resection usually impossible, and adjuvant treatment in the form of radiotherapy ineffective.
Standards of care:
The standard of care for high-grade gliomas involves resection of as much tumor as possible while preserving neurological function. Subsequently, concurrent treatment using radiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) is administered. In addition to orally administered TMZ, the Food and Drug Administration has approved four drugs for the treatment of high-grade gliomas. These are: Lomustine (oral), Carmustine (intravenous), Carmustine (implant), and Bevacizumab (intravenous). The five-year survival rate for malignant brain tumors increased from 23% to 36% between 1975-1977 and 2009-2015. However, during the same period, the five-year survival rate for glioblastoma only slightly increased from 4% to 7%. Therefore, there is a continuous need to search for new therapies, including more effective and selective compounds with limited adverse effects.
Fight against cancer:
One of the effective ways to combat brain tumors, particularly glioblastomas, is the targeted administration of a cytotoxic drug and maintaining its concentration for a long time in the region affected by the disease without affecting healthy cells. The main barrier to delivering chemotherapeutic agents to brain tumors is the blood-brain barrier. Tight junctions between endothelial cells allow only selected types of substances to pass between cells. Selective transport of compounds from the blood to the cerebrospinal fluid occurs through diffusion or active transport. It is estimated that about 98% of small molecules and almost all large molecules, such as recombinant proteins or gene-based drugs, are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. One method to bypass the blood-brain barrier is to use an appropriate route of administration for chemotherapy drugs.
Fight against cancer:
Currently, a promising method for delivering anticancer drugs to the brain is direct injection through a cannula under real-time MRI observation. Another administration route gaining increasing interest is intranasal delivery, which provides greater bioavailability by avoiding first-pass metabolism in the liver and reducing accumulation in other organs. To reduce the frequency of injections and increase patient comfort, there is a need to develop formulations that allow for maintaining therapeutic drug concentrations in the brain for extended periods with minimal toxicity to normal brain cells. Scientific research indicates that liposomal formulations and encapsulation of the active substance in polymer gels are very effective methods for delivering anticancer agents to the brain.
Liposomal formulations:
Liposomal formulations are characterized by low toxicity to healthy cells, a long half-life, and effective penetration into the interior of tumors, regardless of their size and stage of development. In the case of polymer formulations, the effect of controlled polymer degradation can be achieved by utilizing characteristic biochemical reactions of cancer cells, such as the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis). Polymer nanocarriers are biodegradable and biocompatible drug delivery systems. The use of polymers with diverse properties and ratios, as well as the possibility of surface functionalization, allows for easy control of chemotherapy drug release kinetics. The development of such formulations is extremely important as it enables the relatively rapid preparation of more effective anticancer drugs for the treatment of malignant brain tumors, minimizing side effects and maximizing patient survival chances.
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