Proteolytic activity nanosensors for hepatic tumor diagnosis

• Grant number: 21/03748-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2021
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Valtencir Zucolotto
• Grantee: Felipe dos Santos Soto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Early detection of liver cancer is a difficult task because it is a kind of tumour thatprogresses quickly into its malignant form, and its diagnosis relies on imaging testscombined with tests for the blood biomarker alpha-fetoprotein. This approach haslimitations on its early detection strategy due to low imaging equipment resolutionand predictive power of endogenous blood biomarkers, which have reduced the useful time for treatment, compromising patient well-being and the possibility ofcure. Responsive nanosensors, that is capable of sensing and responding to theconditions of the tumor microenvironment (low pH and partial oxygen pressure,and up activated proteases) while penetrating it, are feasible alternative totraditional diagnostic tools. This work aims at assembling, characterizing andproving the selective activation of a nanosensor via in vitro catalytic activationassay to serve as molecular diagnostic tool for noninvasive liver cancer detection.