Nanomedicines have the potential to save lives, but their clinical development faces various obstacles. These include a.o. incomplete knowledge about their functioning at the cellular level, lack of standardization in the characterization of nanomedicines, and suboptimal knowledge exchange among the involved parties. NanoMedNL aims to overcome these obstacles by consolidating knowledge and expertise in a virtual center, where researchers, patients, doctors, pharmaceutical industry and regulatory authorities collaborate on the next generation of nanomedicines.

Patients suffering from glioblastoma - the most aggressive type of brain cancer - have a very poor prognosis. This is despite aggressive treatment that causes significant side effects. The first step in treatment usually consists of surgery. After surgery a cavity remains in the brain. In this project we will develop a novel implant that only locally emits radiation to kill the tumor cells and that is complemented by a drug that fights the side effects and attacks other components that help the tumor to grow. By local implantation into the brain we aim to intensify the treatment and to limit side effects and to create a micro-environment in the tumor that resists tumor growth. This new strategy can improve treatment of patients with glioblastoma. Patients that have at the moment very few treatment options.

Ontsteking is een kenmerk van diverse ziektebeelden. Bradykinine is een beruchte aanstichter van ontsteking en wordt gevormd door specifieke enzymen. Overmatige bradykinine productie veroorzaakt opzwellende weefsels (angio-oedeem; soms levensbedreigend) en kan gevaarlijke bloeddrukdalingen veroorzaken in allergie. Onze recombinante eiwitten zijn in staat de verantwoordelijke enzymen te remmen en zo bradykinine productie een halt toe te roepen.

De door het UMC Utrecht ontwikkelde PACT is een veelbelovende test voor bloedplaatjesfunctie die gebruikt kan worden in de diagnostiek van de bloedende patiënt. Het PACT concept heeft onlangs een aanmoedigingsprijs gewonnen in het UMCU, waarmee de PACT verder ontwikkeld en gevalideerd kan worden in klinische studies. U-PACT B.V. is als spin-off opgericht om de ontwikkeling van de PACT tot commerciële test te faciliteren.

A mixture of three mRNAs encoding powerful immunogenic proteins has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic effects in melanoma patients. But the logistics of the therapy are challenging and costs are 500.000 euro per patient. An affordable generic approach would be to formulate the mRNA into nanoparticles and make the active proteins within the patient. In TRITON, we aim to intratumorally inject the nanoparticles to turn ‘cold’ -non-immunogenic- tumors into ‘hot’ -immunogenic- tumors. The tumor of patients is a rich source of immunogenic epitopes that could be used by the immune system to mount its attack. When I met the candidate Khalid Aldakkak, I was impressed by his motivation and clear ambition to pursue a PhD in the nanomedicine field. In this project, he will learn to manufacture and analyse advanced nanoparticles and study their performance in vitro and in vivo. For the in vivo studies he will follow the legally required animal experimentation course, which is an important advantage for a PhD track. In this project, he will also learn the role of academic researchers in public-private partnership projects. All these skills are valuable in landing a PhD position.