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Bioresorbable Optical Sensors For In-Vivo and In-Situ Monitoring Of Chemotherapeutic Drugs

Project
We propose a new sensing technology for in-vivo bioresorbable sensing of analytes of clinical interest (e.g., drugs, biomarkers) that exploits optical devices and synthetic receptors fabricated with materials that dissolve with biologically safe byproducts. The sensors are designed to be implanted in the body to monitor, in-vivo, in-situ, and in real-time, the concentration of the target analyte, until they are fully and safely resorbed on-demand, using an external trigger. As a case study, we focus on chemical sensors based on two bioresorbable optical devices with different operating principles (resonant photonic crystals and waveguides) functionalized with biocompatible molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) designed as specific receptors for doxorubicin (d-MIP). Doxorubicin (doxo) is a fluorescent chemotherapeutic drug commonly used for the Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca MUR - BANDO 2022 treatment of several cancers, including breast and skin cancer. MIPs are polymeric receptors fabricated in the presence of a target molecule acting as template, which is then removed from the polymer leaving cavities complementary to the template, thus making MIP capable to specifically rebind the target . The sensors are implanted on the back of an animal model, in the subcutaneous tissue, and doxo concentration is monitored by measuring, through skin, the fluorescence intensity of doxo (emission at 590 nm where skin has good transparency) bound to d-MIP and amplified by the resonant photonic crystal or collected by the waveguide devices (Fig.1b). The use of two optical devices with complementary characteristics allow to target both shallow (i.e. photonic crystals) and deep (i.e. waveguides) implantation sites, for which routing of the fluorescence emission at skin level might be necessary. The use of MIPs as an alternative to common bioreceptors (e.g., antibodies) ensure high biocompatibility and reversible binding, thus enabling continuous drug monitoring in-vivo, without adverse response from the immune system. Furthermore, the possibility of synthesizing a MIP for any target will enlarge the spectrum of detectable drugs. The sensors will be coated by an antifouling polymer with long-lived capability and triggerable bioresorbability, enabling on-demand dissolution of the implanted sensor once the chemotherapeutic treatment is completed. The EVANESENSE technology eliminates any boundary between target molecules and sensing devices, granting direct access to tissues and biofluids, and acting as an in-situ sentinel once implanted in the body, without the need of device-retrieving surgery that may cause tissue lesion or infection. EVANESENSE will change the paradigm in chemical sensing promising to revolutionize clinical practices and protocols, such as chemotherapy treatments for which an in-situ drug monitoring will enable to tailor the dose of drug to be administered to the patient, thus maximising its efficacy and patient survival rate.
  • Overview
  • Skills

Overview

Contributor

OTTANI Alessandra   Scientific Manager  

Leading department

Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences   Principale  

Term type

PRIN Progetti di ricerca di rilevante interesse nazionale

Financier

MINISTERO DELL'INTERNO
Funding Organization

Partner (3)

CNR - CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Università degli Studi di MODENA e REGGIO EMILIA
Università del Salento

Total Contribution (assigned) University (EUR)

37,654€

Date/time interval

February 4, 2025 - February 3, 2027

Project duration

24 months

Skills

Concepts (2)


LS7_2 - Medical technologies and tools (including genetic tools and biomarkers) for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases - (2024)

Settore BIOS-11/A - Farmacologia
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