Name
Department of nanoscale materials
Institute for Scintillation Materials
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
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Title of project idea: Nanomaterials for anticancer therapy
Topics addressed: H2020-NMP-2015-twostageSub call of H2020-NMP-2014-2015
Nanomedicine therapy for cancer NMP-11-2015
Description of project idea: the main idea of the project is the development of a novel type of
anticancer therapeutic agents with dramatic impact on treatment of various types of cancer.
As a platform for the novel nanodrugs for cancer therapy we propose nanoparticles (NPs) on
the base of rare-earth doped orthovanadates ReVO4:Eu3+ (Re = Gd, Y, La). Due to the extra
small size of NPs (2 nm) they can be accumulated in cancerous tissues through the enhanced
permeability and retention (EPR) effect or, in the case of solid tumour, via a direct injection.
Our researches show that the accumulation of the NPs in tumour (Ehrlich's carcinoma model)
causes the suppression of tumor cell growth from 15 upto 80% depending on a NPs formfactor and concentration archived. Moreover, we found the inhibition of a cancer stem cell
(CSCs) proliferation. According current knowledge, CSCs may generate tumors through the
stem cell processes of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell types. Such cells are
proposed to persist in tumors as a distinct population and cause relapse and metastasis by
giving rise to new tumors. Therefore, development of specific therapies targeted at CSCs holds
hope for improvement of survival and quality of life of cancer patients, especially for sufferers
of metastatic disease. Our findings show that the suppression of tumor growth is attended by
the redistribution of its subpopulation composition, mainly, decreasing both the ratio of the
most cancerogenic cells with phenotype CD44hiCD24- and content of microenvironment cells,
which control functional potential of CSCs. In addition, the Nps provokes the significant
decrease of self-induced genes nanog, oct-4, sox-2 expression. Thus, our results allow the
orthovanadates ReVO4:Eu3+ (Re = Gd, Y, La) NPs of specific form and size to be considered as
potential nanoplatform for the novel anticancer drugs.
Expected impact: Potential major improvement in cancer therapy, providing enhanced quality
of life for patients including aged patients due to anti-hyperglycemia effect and positive effect
on both reproductive function and emotional state of proposed nanomaterials; potential
major reduce of costs linked to cancer and its treatment.
Already involved Partner: Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine National
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; European Centre for Knowledge and Technology Transfer
(EUROTEX)
Partners sought: We are searching European research groups, medical centres, etc. involved
in applications of nanotechnologies in biomedical areas with the main function within the
project - pre-clinical testing of promising nanomaterials under the Good Manufacturing
Practice (GMP) standard that promotes the introducing the promising novel anticancer
nanotherapies to the European healthcare market.
Our profile: The main activity of the Department of Nanoscale materials is focused on
development and integrated study of nanomaterials, which properties are either
environmentally-independent (inorganic nanocrystals of various structure and chemical
composition) or strongly environmentally-dependent (luminescent clusters of organic dye
molecules – J-aggregates, surfactant micelles and liposomes loaded with fluorescent
molecules).
The main classes of developed materials are:
 rare-earth doped inorganic nanocrystals of various types;
 fluorescent organic clusters (J-aggregates, liposomes and micelles containing fluorescent
molecules);
 specific hybrid materials "inorganic nanoparticle - organic molecule" for biomedical
applications;
 fluorescent polymeric and SiO2 luminescence nanosphers as a labels for biomedical
applications;
 nanomaterials with pro/anti-oxidant properties;
 nanomaterials with anticancer activity;
 nanomaterials with radioprotector properties;
 nanomaterials with anti-hyperglycemia effect;
 nanocomposite materials (transparent sol-gel matrices and film) and highly-ordered
nanoporous materials (aluminum oxide matrices and polymeric templates) which can be
loaded with different compounds (dye molecules, nanoparticles, etc.) for various
applications;
 magnet nanoparticles and coated fluorescent magnet nanoparticles for biomedical
applications;
 method for organic nanocarriers (liposomes and micelles) fluorescent labeling and longterm monitoring of their interaction with biological objects in dynamics, controlling
various intracellular processes in living cells;
 method for estimation of fluorescent dye accumulation in living cells;
 facility and existent wide experience in synthesis of fluorescent probes for selective
labeling and monitoring of various cells and cell organelles including and IR-fluorescent
dyes for non-invasive cell tracing.
 effective fluorescent method for controlling cell functional state during long-term
experiments including cell cultivation and cryopreservation;
Contact details: Professor Yuri Malyukin
e-mail: malyukin@isma.kharkov.ua
Institute for Scintillation Materials NAS of Ukraine
60 Lenin ave., 61001 Kharkov, Ukraine
Tel. +38 050 4025111 (mob.) +380 57 341-01-49 (office);
Fax: +380 57 340-44-74;