Research
The seven NuCapCure partner institutions from the fields of physics, chemistry and biology are working on two radical, multimodal cancer treatments based on protons and neutrons that are specifically tailored to Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The NuCapCure Proton and NuCapCure Neutron therapeutic approaches are designed to exploit the tumour's own cellular biosynthesis and transform cancer cells into a kind of intracellular mini-chemistry laboratory, forcing them to produce drugs. The two treatments are specifically targeted to cancer cells and thus intended to protect the surrounding healthy brain tissue. They are also significantly more cost-effective than conservative tumour therapies currently used, especially when the chances of a cure are taken into account.
Scientific Approach
Only a disruptive, ground-breaking approach can fight the highly aggressive and still incurable brain tumour type GBM and thus reduce patient suffering and the explosion in healthcare costs associated with conservative therapies.
The scientific part of the project work can be split into four areas:
- Chemical synthesis and NuCapCure compound validation
- Photophysical and photochemical characterisation of NuCapCure compounds
- NuCapCure in vitro efficacy studies
- NuCapCure in vivo efficacy studies
The project includes initial studies on photophysical characterisation and photodynamic therapy (PDT) of various NuCapCure compounds synthesised by the consortium chemists. The proposed NuCapCure treatments will then be validated and optimised in 2D and 3D GBM cell cultures, with the most promising drugs selected for in vivo studies. In the final phase, the efficacy of NuCapCure will be validated in animal GBM tumour models in mice.
Interdisciplinary Approach
NuCapCure brings together experts in the fields of biochemistry, nuclear physics and radiobiology to jointly develop two complex therapeutic approaches that are capable of curing GBM patients of cancer in a non-invasive way while keeping treatment costs reasonable.
Based on the interdisciplinary approach of NuCapCure, several scientific breakthroughs are anticipated, including externally controlled intracellular chemistry and multi-component neutron and proton therapies. These advances hold the promise of effective GBM treatment and offer potentially curative solutions that could have a positive impact on patients' lives and healthcare systems, both in terms of well-being and cost-effectiveness.