Development of theranostic systems based on ZnO and lipid nanocapsules

• Grant number: 14/26671-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: June 15, 2016
• End date: June 14, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Leila Aparecida Chiavacci Favorin
• Grantee: Leila Aparecida Chiavacci Favorin
• Host Investigator: Jean-Pierre Benoit
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université d'Angers, France

Abstract

The specific release of active ingredients is a major challenge for the treatment of various diseases, especially cancer. The active molecules must be able to overcome the barriers that separate the administration site or desired site of action. The design of nanosystems capable of carrying the active ingredient, to improve its distribution and to limit the side effects, is an important advance in vectorization of certain molecules. The most innovative research is the design of systems "teranósticos" that combine a diagnostic function, thanks to the image, and a therapeutic function, thanks to the vectorization of an active ingredient. The aim of this project is to develop lipid nanocapsules by the method of inversion known phases efficiency in controlled release and vectorization of drugs containing quantum dots the basis of zinc oxide for simultaneous use in diagnostic imaging and transport of biologically active molecules. The aim is also to dope the quantum dots the basis of ZnO with Mg and Gd. The inclusion of different metal cations can optimize the luminescent property (Mg) and still give the quantum dots ZnO magnetic properties contrast agents characteristics for magnetic resonance imaging (Gd), thus combining two kinds of image, the fluorescent and the magnetic resonance. The above proposed objectives fall within the context of the project currently supported by FAPESP, project No. 2013/257117 entitled "Development of nanostructured systems containing quantum dots the basis of ZnO for use in diagnostic imaging and vectorization of drugs" and is a complement the above objectives. Thus, during the internship abroad is intended to evaluate the efficiency of quantum dots developed during the first phase of the project FAPESP 2013 / 25711-7 in diagnostic fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance. For this, the expertise (beyond the range of equipment available in the same research center) of the French group on completion of the synthesis of nanocapsules and characterization of teranósticos systems (nanocasulas + QD) by techniques such as microscopy, tests "in vitro" internalization cellular and in vivo imaging in small animals is of utmost importance for the development of this research project.