Active nanocarriers
We design nanocapsules that can be guided to a target cell in vivo and either release a combination of different active ingredients in a well-defined manner, actively produce active ingredients on site, or trigger cascade reactions.
Our strength is to produce nanocarriers that are loaded with a combination of drugs of defined composition, whose shell is biocompatible and degradable, which - injected into the bloodstream - are not recognized by the vast majority of cells and can thus circulate, and which can only reach their target cells due to their special surface functionalization, dock there, are taken up and release their cargo. Furthermore, active nanocapsules are of high interest, which generate the drug molecules in situ due to enzymes or photocatalysts in the target cell. Therefore, we develop more sophisticated active nanocarriers that are able to act as sensors inside the cells, and which can subsequently produce the active component from pro-drugs to modulate cellular functions. We follow synergistic strategies by combining enzymatic nanoreactors and prodrugs. For examples, we develop a dual-targeting approach that combines the action of H2O2-producing folate receptor-targeted nanoreactors with a targeted prodrug. Also in a synergistic approach, we use our nanoencapsulation strategy to provide a versatile platform for the flexible combination of different therapies for biomedical applications. This nanoencapsulation strategy provides a versatile platform for the flexible combination of different therapies for biomedical applications. We believe that the dual-targeting strategy with a synergistic potency can aid in developing selective and effective anticancer therapeutics and we will develop this strategy further. To enable the use of nanocarriers in humans, a personalized approach to drug delivery is envisioned.
