A study co-led by the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, part of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de València, and the Polytechnic University of València (UPV) has led to the development of an innovative nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategy. The aim is to enhance treatment effectiveness for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive subtypes with fewer specific therapeutic options.
The results, published in the journal Biomaterials Research, stem from a collaboration between INCLIVA's Breast Cancer Biology Research Group and the Nanomaterials and Sensors Research Group (NanoSens) at the Polytechnic University of València, which is part of the Inter-university Institute for Molecular Recognition and Technological Development (IDM) and the Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN).
Dr. Juan Miguel Cejalvo, principal investigator at INCLIVA and oncologist at the Hospital Clínico, explains that current therapies primarily target tumor cells, but the tumor microenvironment, particularly cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), plays a crucial role in cancer progression, treatment resistance, and immunosuppression.
Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for approximately 15% to 20% of cases, is highly aggressive, and has a poorer prognosis. Therefore, developing new strategies that also target the tumor microenvironment represents a significant and necessary advancement.
Unlike conventional therapies, this study utilizes a nanodevice that delivers doxorubicin, a common chemotherapy drug, directly to the tumor. The nanoparticles are designed to specifically recognize a protein (FAP-) present on cancer-associated fibroblasts, which are the most abundant cells in the tissue surrounding the tumor and play a key role in its growth, spread, and resistance to treatments.
Dr. Iris Garrido, a researcher at INCLIVA, highlights that experimental results show the nanotherapy selectively targets the tumor microenvironment, reduces tumor growth, promotes cancer cell elimination, and activates the immune system.
This targeted therapy helps reduce the side effects of conventional chemotherapy, such as the cardiac toxicity of doxorubicin, as the nanodevice concentrates it in the tumor, minimizing impact on healthy tissues. The study opens new avenues towards more effective and safer treatments.
Next steps include optimizing the nanodevice and validating it in more complex models, with the goal of advancing towards potential patient application.
