| Grant number: | 18/26405-0 |
| Support type: | Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | May 15, 2019 |
| Effective date (End): | November 14, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology |
| Principal researcher: | Marlus Chorilli |
| Grantee: | Renata Carolina Alves |
| Supervisor abroad: | Nathaniel Rosi |
| Home Institution: | Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil |
| Research place: | University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), United States |
| Associated to the scholarship: | 17/26065-2 - Encapsulation of curcumin in BioMOF-100 functionalized with folate: development and evaluation of potential in the treatment of Breast Cancer, BP.DR |
Abstract The class of highly porous materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offers many opportunities for applications across biology and medicine. Their wide range of chemical composition makes toxicologically acceptable formulation possible, and their high level of functionality enables possible applications as delivery systems for therapeutics agents. Surface modifications in drug delivery systems have been used to minimize their interaction with the bulk, improving stability and dispersion, allowing them to cross physiological barriers, and providing the possibility of targeted carriers. Based on this, functionalization with folic acid has been used as a specific molecule in the treatment of several types of cancer by presenting selectively deliver chemotherapeutics and dyes to cancer cells which overexpress folate receptor. Curcumin, extracted from the Curcuma longa plant, has chemopreventive and antitumor activities against some aggressive and recurrent cancers. Despite its great potential in antitumor therapy, curcumin has limitations, which include low solubility in water at physiological and acidic conditions, rapid hydrolysis at alkaline pH and instability in the presence of light. Thus, a release system that allows efficient administration of curcumin is of paramount importance. In this way, this project aims to promote surface modifications based on "click" reactions to conjugate folate molecules into the surface of curcumin-loaded mesoporous Metal-Organic Framework (bio-MOF-100) for posterior evaluation in vitro and in vivo models. (AU) | |