Nanohybrids for biomedical applications

1.       Development of ultrasmall nanoparticles for theranostic applications

FENNEC team works since its creation on the development of ultrasmall gadolinium based nanoparticles for biomedical applications. AGuIX technology has been developed for treating patients in association with radiotherapy. Due to very encouraging results in vitro and in vivo, AGuIX technology has been transferred to the clinic in 2016 in a phase Ib clinical trial (Nano-Rad) for the treatment of patients suffering from multiple brain metastases in association with radiotherapy. Due to positive results on 15 patients in phase 1b, AGuIX is now implicated in two phase 2 clinical trials for treating brain metastases (Nano-Rad 2 and Nano-Stereo) and will be soon proposed for other indications.

Actual developments of the team are now focused on second generation of AGuIX technology for efficient targeting of tumor receptors and immune checkpoints, other imaging (PET, SPECT, fluorescence…) or therapeutic modalities (photodynamic therapy, chemotherapy…).

Creation of Nano-H and NH TherAguix are directly associated to this thematic.

 2.       Development of medical devices for metal extraction

This research focus is relatively new in the team and is based on the observation that many diseases are tightly correlated with dysregulation of metallic homeostasis of endogenous or exogenous cations like Wilson disease (copper), hemochromatosis (iron), saturnism (lead). For neurodegenerative diseases, implication of metals is more and more suspected (Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis…). Based on these findings, patented technology for metal extraction has been developed. This technology combines dialysis and chelating materials for specific extraction of metals without secondary effects traditionally observed with oral chelation.

Creation of MexBrain is directly associated with this thematic.

3.       Development of theranostic molecules for cancer treatment

Our team has recently started to develop theranostic molecules for the treatment of cancer. These tools, designed to be monitored by MRI after intravenous injection, are activated by ionizing radiation with space and time control, in order to trigger a therapeutic action only at a specific area in the body.

Different types of architectures are investigated to provide several pharmacological actions able to be triggered by radiotherapy.