Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry
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Topic details

Topic Polymer-based drug delivery vectors targeting stemness of glioblastoma cells
Supervisor Robert Pola, PhD
Department Biomedical Polymers
Description Topic of the thesis will be focused on the development of targeted polymeric drugs for treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common brain cancer. Current GBM treatment is resection of GBM with the risk of damaging healthy tissue, followed by radio- and chemotherapy. Another treatment is not available, treated patients survive 12 months longer than untreated. The aim of the work is to design structures, synthesis, physico-chemical characterization and verification of the biological activity of nanodrug designed for targeted multimodal GBM therapy. Nanodrug should: effectively cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB); specifically target to tumor and affect the metabolism of cancer cells. Advantage of this approach is that targeting peptide and BBB-penetrating peptides are bound to one polymer carrier bearing drug, which will be in its inactive form during transport and released after reaching tumor. Student will participate in synthesis of monomers, polymeric carriers and selected peptides on solid phase, study of binding of peptides and drugs to polymer precursor, physicochemical characterization of all products and in vitro study of biological properties of prepared conjugates on different cell lines and in cooperation with IEM AS CR testing crossing of BBB on a perfusion model.
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