MSCA - Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) on “pH-responsive cyclodextrin-based drug delivery systems for anticancer active ingredients”

Research project description

Cancer remains a significant global health challenge. Traditional chemotherapy often suffers from poor drug solubility, systemic toxicity, and limited tumour targeting. This project explores the development of pH-responsive cyclodextrin-based drug delivery systems (CDs) for anticancer active ingredients.

CDs are natural cyclic oligosaccharides with a hydrophobic cavity that can encapsulate drugs, improving their solubility and stability. Tumour sites exhibit a slightly acidic environment compared to healthy tissues.

pH-responsive systems can be designed to release drugs specifically within tumours. In addition to that the preparation and testing of nanoparticles constituted by CDs will be investigated. Different drug delivery systems (like polymeric nanoparticles) compatible with target active ingredients can be evaluated. This project will benefit of consolidated collaborations with research groups internal and external to the institution.

Objectives:

• Synthesize and characterize pH-sensitive CDs derivatives.
• Encapsulate anticancer drugs within the pH-responsive CDs.
• Evaluate drug release profiles under simulated physiological and tumour pH conditions.
• Assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of drug-loaded CD systems on cancer cell lines.

Expected Outcomes:

Development of a targeted drug delivery platform for anticancer drugs with improved therapeutic efficacy and reduced side effects. Enhanced drug solubility and stability through CDs complexation. Controlled drug release triggered by the acidic tumour microenvironment. Reduced systemic toxicity and improved targeting of cancer cells. This project holds promise for advancing cancer treatment by offering a more precise and efficient method to deliver potent drugs directly to tumours. The success of this project could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for various cancers. Instrumentation

Laboratories

Fully equipped laboratories for synthetic chemistry and analysis

NMR spectrometer 500 MHz (soon Bruker 700 MHz will be installed)

Access to UniPi Center for Instrument Sharing (https://cisup.unipi.it/)

Supervisors

Dr. Andrea Cesari (RTDa, Assistant Professor) - https://people.unipi.it/andrea_cesari/

Prof. Fabio Bellina - https://ricerca.dcci.unipi.it/bellina-fabio.html

This project will be carried out in collaboration with European Union's NextGenerationEU initiative under the Italian Ministery of University and Research as part of the PNRR awarded to Prof. F. Bellina, Dr. A. Cesari

Eligibility criteria

1. Applicants must have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications (11^th September 2024). Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will also be considered eligible to apply.
2. At the call deadline, the applicant must have a maximum of 8 years experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries, for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.
3. Mobility Rule: The applicant may be of any nationality but must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Italy (for European Fellowships) or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (in case of Global Fellowship) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before 11^th September 2024.

Application procedure

Expressions of interest must be sent by email to andrea.cesari@unipi.it and to fabio.bellina@unipi.it (CC) no later than 31/05/2024 and must consist of two pdf files:

1. Complete and updated CV, clearly demonstrating all 3 eligibility requirements.
2. Motivation letter, maximum one page.