Current limits of nanoparticles used in oncology
Nanomedicine uses nanoparticles to better target tumor cells and limit side effects from chemotherapy. However, two major difficulties still need to be overcome: controlling the particle size so that they can be injected intravenously, and their “vectorization.” This is the ability to graft molecules of biological value that will enable nanoparticles to penetrate the target cells accurately. To overcome these two pitfalls, two Strasbourg researchers, Delphine Felder-Flesch, research director at the Institute of Physics and Materials Science (IPCMS), and Sylvie Begin-Colin, professor at the University of Strasbourg and director of the European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (EPCM) propose using dendritic and magnetic nanoparticles. They founded the start-up Superbranche to commercialize these materials, the results of a ten-year research project.