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Nanomedicine and Surgical Theranostics
Using 3D constructs to test the efficacy of clinical drugs
We recently optimised the manufacture of 3D tumouroid constructs using cells from patients with renal cancers, and then used these 3D constructs to test the efficacy of clinical drugs. Our vision is to develop this as a platform for personalised medicine, to predict the response to drugs of each patient with cancer.
Using 3D constructs to test the efficacy of clinical drugs
We recently optimised the manufacture of 3D tumouroid constructs using cells from patients with renal cancers, and then used these 3D constructs to test the efficacy of clinical drugs. Our vision is to develop this as a platform for personalised medicine, to predict the response to drugs of each patient with cancer.
Our work
Our current research aims include:
- New nanoparticles for surgical oncology to enable improved intraoperative imaging and targeted therapy.
- Investigation of ablative techniques for surgery (e.g., ultrasound, near-IR irradiation, cryotherapy) and their combination with chemotherapy as adjuvants to surgery.
- Developing tumouroid 3D in vitro cultures of cancer, which mimic the composition and architecture of solid tumours as platforms for testing therapeutics and stratified medicine.
- Clinical trials in surgical oncology and renal cancer ablation and diagnostics.
- Treatment of infections using nanoparticles with antimicrobial properties.
Our facilities
- 3D model fabrication and culture of primary cells for cancer
- Nanoparticle manufacture
- Reactive oxygen species detection using time-resolved spectroscopy
- High power laser irradiation
- Ultrasound delivery
- Thermal imaging
- NIR imaging
The Centre for Nanomedicine and Surgical Theranostics (CNS)
Principal Investigators from laboratory and surgical disciplines work alongside postdoctoral, graduate researchers and students. To foster our interdisciplinary approach, we have strong links with other UCL departments, including Chemistry, the School of Pharmacy and Engineering.
Head: Prof. Sandy MacRobert
Deputy Head: Prof. Nikolitsa Nomikou
Honorary staff
Funding / Partnerships
Current research funding is drawn from the EPSRC, MRC, Innovate UK, British Council, NIHR (National Institute for Health Research), the Royal Society UK, and charitable sources.
We also work closely with industrial partners. An example of this is nanoparticle testing in experimental cancer models.
Select publications
- Hadi MM, Farrell S, Nesbitt H, ... MacRobert AJ, McHale JP, Nomikou N. et al. (2022). Nanotechnology-augmented sonodynamic therapy and associated immune-mediated effects for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol.
- Eddama, M.M.R., Gurung, R., Fragkos, K., Lorgelly, P., Cohen, R., Loizidou, M., & Clapp, L. (2022). The role of microvesicles as biomarkers in the screening of colorectal neoplasm. Cancer Medicine.
- Nyga A., Stamati K., Hamoudi R., Tran M.G.B., Emberton M., Loizidou M., Cheema U., et al. Renal tumouroids: challenges of manufacturing 3D cultures from patient derived primary cells. J. Cell Commun. Signal. 2022.
- Hadi M.M., Sciscione F., Emberton M., MacRobert A., McHale A.P., Nomikou N., et al. Investigating the performance of a novel pH and cathepsin B sensitive, stimulus-responsive nanoparticle for optimised sonodynamic therapy in prostate cancer. J.Control Release. 2021 Jan 10;329:76-86.
- Stamati K., Neves J.B., Tran M.G., Emberton M, Cheema U, Loizidou M.J., et al. The anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor Pazopanib kills cancer cells and disrupts endothelial networks in biomimetic three-dimensional renal tumouroids. Tissue Eng. 2020 11:2041731420920597
- Hwang G.B., Huang H., Wu G., Shin J., Kafizas A., MacRobert A.J., et al. Photobactericidal activity activated by thiolated gold nanoclusters at low flux levels of white light. Nature Com. 2020 11(1):1207.
- Banerjee S.M., El-Sheikh S., Malhotra A., Mosse C.A., MacRobert A.J., Hamoudi R., et al. Photodynamic Therapy in Primary Breast Cancer. J Clin. Med. 2020 10;9(2):483.
- Gulamhusein A., Silva P., Cullen D., Tran M., Mumtaz F., Bex A., et al. Safety and feasibility of early single-dose mitomycin C bladder instillation after robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy. BJU Int. 2020.
- Owusu EGA, MacRobert AJ, Naasani I, Parkin IP, Allan E, Yaghini E. Photoactivable polymers embedded with cadmium-free quantum dots and crystal violet: Efficient Bactericidal Activity against Clinical Strains of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2019 11(13):12367-12378.
- Azimi T, Loizidou M, Dwek MV. Cancer cells grown in 3D under fluid flow exhibit an aggressive phenotype and reduced responsiveness to the anti-cancer treatment doxorubicin. Sci Rep. 2020 21;10(1):12020.
- Neves JB, Cullen D, Grant L, Gurusamy K, Emberton M, Bex A, Tran MGB., et al. Protocol for a feasibility study of a cohort embedded randomised controlled trial comparing NEphron Sparing Treatment (NEST) for small renal masses. BMJ Open. 2019 11;9(6):e030965.
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