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New spin off of VHIR “BSURE Medical” led by Simó Schwartz (NANBIOSIS U20)

Dr. Simó Schwartz, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U20 and head of the “Drug Delivery and Targeting group” of CIBER-BBN and VHIR, toghether with Dr. Jaume Alijotas (VHIR), have promoted the creation of the Spin-off ·BSURE Medical· for the devlopment of products and services for the diagnosis, prevention and consultation of aspects related to treatments with all types of bioimplants.

One of the objectives of the Drug Delivery and Targeting group is to carry out preclinical studies to determine the effects and toxicities of drug delivery systems, cell therapies and biomaterials. Studies chace been carried out through the Nanbiosis unit U20, of which the CIBBIM-Nanomedicine platform for functional validation and preclinical studies (FVPR) is a part. The group’s interest in studying the immune-related adverse effects caused by different biomaterials, allowed the identification and validation in two clinical studies of the predictive use of specific genetic biomarkers associated with severe late responses caused by injectable biomaterials, the basis of the new company BSure Medical.

Dr. Jaume Alijotas and Simó Shwartz have led the development of a procedure that makes it possible to determine, reliably and easily the risk of suffering serious late-onset immune, local, regional or systemic adverse effects (edema, angioedema, induration of skin, multiple inflammatory nodules, panniculitis, even granulomatous or autoimmune diseases…) after implantation of an injectable biomaterial, such as dermal or subcutaneous fillers. This risk is strongly associated with the presence of certain antigen profiles in a biological sample of the individual, which allows them to be easily identified from the analysis of blood or saliva samples.

The technology is patented and has been validated in two independent clinical trials coordinated by the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit of the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona and by the Dermatology Department of the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam and the Department of Plastic Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam. The VHIR has granted BSURE a license to use and exploit it exclusively and worldwide. The patent has already been granted in Europe, Brazil and Japan

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NANOLIGENT, the first drug designed to eliminate metastases stem cells

NANBIOSIS researchers have developed a nanomedicine for the treatment of metastases by the selective elimination of tumor stem cells. It is a system based on nanoparticles that transport a chemotherapeutic drug and release it into cancer cells.

The research team, led by Esther Vázquez and Antonio Villaverde, Strategy Director of NANBIOSIS U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP), in the IBB-UAB, and Ramon Mangues, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U18. Nanotoxicology Unit, in the Sant Pau Hospital, have already created a prototype of the drug and have conducted in vivo trials in animal models of colorectal cancer. They have demonstrated their effectiveness, selective biodistribution and low toxicity.

To promote the development of the drug towards the clinic, the reserachers have created Nanoligent a start-up company, based in Barcelona, led by Manuel Rodríguez, a professional with experience in the field of investment and the creation and growth of biotech companies. The technology is patented in Europe and USA and has been licenced to Nanoligent

The therapy created by the researchers is aimed at blocking the development of metastasis, mainly of colorectal cancer, through new strategies aimed at certain cell types. It consists of a new drug administration system based on protein nanoparticles that selectively conduct the therapeutic agent in tumor cells. The drug acts only on cancer cells, because it is based on the specific interaction between a protein present in the nanoparticle and a cellular receptor (CXCR4), which is overexpressed in tumor cells. “This interaction is crucial, because it allows attacking only tumor cells and not healthy cells, thus avoiding secondary effects derived from classical chemotherapy,” emphasizes Antonio Villaverde.

The CXCR4 receptor is overexpressed in many types of tumors, so that “this technology can be directed to the treatment of different types of neoplasms in addition to colorectal cancer and derived metastases, such as lymphoma, leukemia or endometrial cancer, in animal models already available to the group of Sant Pau “, comments Ramon Mangues. In addition, nanoparticles are compatible with a huge variety of possible drugs and therefore they become highly versatile vehicles that can carry a wide range of therapeutic molecules.

“There is an urgent need for more effective and personalized treatments for cancer. The toxicity and the lack of efficacy of conventional drugs are pushing alternative experimental strategies directed and designed to achieve only defined cell types. Nanoparticles, thanks to their capacity for penetration, dissemination and functionality, offer a promising nanomedical landscape to create new drugs,” explains Esther Vázquez.

“In this direction, the technology of Nanoligent opens a new door in anti-pelagic therapy, as it allows to design a treatment with greater cellular specificity than that of existing treatments, while offering greater biosecurity and biodegradability and lower toxicity,” he said. Antonio Villaverde points out.

Currently, there are no drugs in the market that selectively eliminate metastatic stem cells. Although Nanoligent technology is still under development, researchers say they have a lot of potential and consider that it could have a high clinical impact as regulatory trials are overcome.

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