Interview with Theodossis Theodossiou
Dr Theodossis Theodossiou is NuCapCure Project Coordinator and affiliated with both the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital. Theodossis started as a physicist, earning his PhD in nuclear physics, but over the last 28 years his work has expanded into biophysics, biochemistry and biology working in pioneering fields such as photodynamic therapy, metabolism and mitochondrial medicine, nanoparticle drug delivery and proton and neutron therapy which is a focus in the NuCapCure project.
In his interview as part of the Behind the Breakthrough researcher spotlight series, Dr Theodossis Theodossiou discusses the NuCapCure project, what makes it unique and why he is passionate about his work on Glioblastome multiforme.
- Let’s start with the personal: What first drew you to cancer research? Was there a specific moment, experience or curiosity that sparked your interest in this field – and more specifically, in Glioblastoma multiforme?
I think it was the excitement of trying to solve a big puzzle that impacts millions of people worldwide that sparked my interest. More specifically GBM is an incurable disease that claims lives with people being powerless to put up a proper fight.
- Glioblastoma is known as the most aggressive and deadly brain tumour. How would you describe it in everyday terms and what makes it such a unique challenge to treat?
It is not a coincidence that GBM is commonly referred to as the terminator. It is a nightmare coming true for people who get this diagnosis and it transforms their lives completely. It is a unique challenge to treat as it is a highly infiltrative disease, making secondary satellite lesions close to the primary one.
- With so many cancer research initiatives underway, what gap does NuCapCure aim to fill? Why is a new approach – and a new mindset – so important in the fight against glioblastoma?
NuCapCure approaches GBM from quite a different perspective. It is universal treatment and yet also a precision treatment since it relies on cancer cells creating the substances that will be used to eliminate them. Then ionising radiation will be applied, either protons or neutrons, and will exert a hybrid effect that utilises the substances formed to kill the cells that produce them. We hope that parts of the treatment will apply to the secondary infiltrative disease, triggering a systemic immune response.
- NuCapCure brings together researchers from many different disciplines – from photobiology and nuclear physics to synthetic chemistry. What makes this kind of collaboration so powerful? Have there been any surprising benefits from combining such diverse expertise?
The unique collaborations set up in NuCapCure are close to magical. Bringing people from diverse fields together to solve a problem creates a melting pot of knowledge. This broadens everyone’s perspective so diverse inputs come from several completely different angles. This is very catalytic for problem-solving.
- The NuCapCure therapies aim to “hijack” tumour cells and turn them into self-destructing chemical factories. Can you walk us through how this works in simple terms and why it is such a bold step forward in treatment design?
It is another way to approach the problem at hand. We need some chemicals to be inserted into cancer cells. Instead of making them in the lab and busting our heads on how to specifically deliver them to the cancer cells, why not try to make the cells produce them and selectively accumulate them as they naturally do with similar compounds?
- Research is filled with highs and lows. What has been one of the most rewarding parts of your work so far – either in the NuCapCure project or in your wider journey in cancer and glioblastoma research?
I think the most rewarding part was in 2019 when the European Commission radar recognised Lumiblast, another Pathfinder open project of our group (FET open back then) as the EC innovative science of the year. Another such moment was when we managed to successfully complete FRINGE (yet another FET open project expedited by our group), despite a sequence of debilitating force majeure occurrences, like the closure of the reactor where we were supposed to do the work just days before the kick off, the death of a partner PI just before the project start, the coronavirus pandemic and two partner chemical laboratories destroyed by fire during the project.
- And finally: What keeps you motivated? What drives you to keep exploring, experimenting, and pushing boundaries in this field?
The need to provide a solution to a problem which does not have one yet, and at the same time provide hope to many people, but also hope to myself that we can make their hopes and expectations come true.