We are presently involved in the following projects related to the development of novel anticancer agents.
The resistance of malignant tumours to therapy is often due to cancer cells adapting to avoid death. Paradoxically, dying cells in tumour tissue can promote tumour growth through a process known as "phoenix ascent". In this complicated pathway, the inflammation-promoting molecule prostaglandin E2 plays a central role, so its inhibition is crucial to stop the formation of new tumours.
The ADVANCED project, which brings together teams from the University of Belgrade (Prof. Dr Danijela Maksimović-Ivanić), the University of Leipzig (Prof. Dr Dr h.c. mult. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins) and Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Goran Kaluđerović), aims to improve our understanding of cell death-induced tumour repopulation in highly aggressive colorectal cancer, a model for inflammation-induced tumours. To this end, anti-inflammatory drugs, including COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) and LOX (lipoxygenase) inhibitors, cisplatin hybrid compounds and suitable nanomaterials that could be used therapeutically are being investigated. These novel drugs are tested on intestinal organoids artificially generated from mouse and human tumour cells. Organoids show physiologically relevant, organ-like properties and are therefore the most versatile and natural in-vitro models of the intestine to study biological processes.
The ADVANCED project is funded for three years (01/2024-12/2026) by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia.
Further information on the project can be found here
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Advanced
Targeted Tumor Therapy with multifunctional platinum(IV)-drug conjugates, T3-Pt
New multifunctional coordination compounds aimed at overcoming current limitations of platinum-based anticancer drugs, namely side effects, resistance (e.g., via drug efflux transporters), and limited targeting of cellular mechanisms will be prepared and tested.
Based on synthetic strategies pioneered by us, multifunctional platinum(IV)-drug conjugates will be developed from platinum(II) scaffolds combined with additional therapeutic/diagnostic agents to produce multifunctional therapeutic candidates with the potential to act as theranostics and pro-drugs, thus enhancing selectivity while limiting toxicity.
The novelty of the project resides in the nature of the new coordination compounds, specifically the synthesis of multifunctional platinum(IV)-drug conjugates (anticipated to pose interesting issues of coordination chemistry, supramolecular interactions, and redox activity).
The functionality of the complexes will be tested (biochemical interactions with target proteins/enzymes, in vitro cell culture analyses), using state-of-the-art investigative techniques, specifically UV-Vis, fluorescence (including confocal microscopy), vibrational, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy, crystallography, mass spectrometry, electrochemistry, computational chemistry, and immunocytochemistry.
The project "Targeted Tumor Therapy with multifunctional platinum(IV)-drug conjugates, T3-Pt", is funded until June 2026 by the European Union – NextGenerationEU and the Romanian Government, under National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Romania, through the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, within Component 9, Investment I8 (PNRR-III-C9-2023-I8-CF“, contract nr. 760240/28.12.2023).
Further information is available here.
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