Driven by curiosity. Driving changeNanomedicine
Nanomaterials in medicine
Nanomedicine has emerged as a field of medicine that exploits nanomaterials in the development of drug formulations and in tissue engineering.
At the core of bionanotechnology as a field is the exploration of the interactions between engineered nanostructures, biomolecules and cells.
Our projects
Within a large collaborative project funded by the UK Research Council, we are developing drug nanocarriers for hard-to-treat cancers such as pancreatic and lung cancer, characterised by dense, heterogeneous tumour tissue known as stroma. Our approach involves the use of biopolymer carriers decorated with anti-stromal and targeting species for improved drug delivery.
We also explore therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for ageing (senescent) cells, particularly those aged as a result of chemotherapeutic treatment; we use our nanostructured biopolymers to design a new generation of DNA nanocarriers, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, and develop functionalised silicon nanowires for neuronal rewiring in collaboration with Ballerini and Tian labs.
At the heart of drug carrier design is the identification of suitable biomarkers to enable the precise targeting of diseased cells and tissues. Such work requires collaboration with cancer biologists and clinicians, as well as the use of multiple detection and validation strategies.
Video
Watch a short video on biomedical applications of our materials