Targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts with drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles to improve im-mune therapy for primary and secondary liver tumors (B17*)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213555243

Nanoparticles are decorated with CAF-targeting ligands, loaded with CAF-modulating drugs (e.g. anti-TGFβ1 siRNA, AT1R-antagonists) and tested in vitro (in i.a. tumor organoids) to select promising candidates for therapeutic in vivo experiments. After biodistribution and tumor tissue accumulation of the drug-loaded na-noparticles have been assessed by multimodal imaging methods, therapeutic antitumor effects of the vali-dated drug-loaded nanoparticles are studied in relevant murine liver tumor models, whereby i.a. RNA- and proteomics are applied to gain insight into therapeutic mechanisms.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1066: Nano-Dimensional Polymer Therapeutics for Tumour Therapy
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Heads: Dr. Mustafa Diken, Ph.D.; Dr. Leonard Kaps; Professor Dr. Twan Lammers