Ph. D. Project
Title:
Metal-based nanoparticles to optimize the effects of radiotherapy of brain tumors.
Dates:
2021/10/15 - 2024/10/14
Student:
Description:
Glioblastoma is the most difficult brain cancer to treat. Major challenges are the limitation of irreversible brain damage and the infiltrative part of the tumor tissue which is the ultimate cause of recurrence. At the time of recurrence, treatment options are very limited with modest activity. The therapeutic index can be widely improved using an image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Radiosensitization by metal-based nanoparticles attracts significant interests and radiotherapy is entering a new era with the emergence of promising clinical concepts for IGRT. We will design a novel theranostic nanoparticle that enables dual-modality tumor imaging and radiation-dose enhancement providing clinicians with more options for precise tumor localization while mitigating toxicity in surrounding healthy tissue. As the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays pivotal roles in the infiltrative characteristics of glioblastoma, to characterize the radiosensitization effect, we will evaluate the cell-ECM interactions. As glioma-associated macrophages can be influenced by tumor derived cytokines, suppressing adaptive immune responses, their involvement will be characterized.
Keywords:
Glioblastoma, Nanoparticles, Image-guided radiation therapy, Neuropilin-1, Macrophages
Department(s): 
Biology, Signals and Systems in Cancer and Neuroscience