Wang Ke, PhD | School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University; Dong Kai, PhD; Li Qingqing, PhD; Yang Fanli, MS; Wen Jinpeng, PhD; Liu Kailai, PhD; Zhang Yuchen, PhD; Zhao Xinxin, MS; Hu Datao, MS
Competition Sponsor: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Awardee Year: 2022
Tumor cytoreductive surgery is a common method for the treatment of colorectal cancer in the elderly, but it is not only prone to adhesions after the operation, leading to chronic pelvic pain, intestinal obstruction, and other complications. Residual tumor cells may also cause tumor recurrence or peritoneal metastasis, resulting in surgical treatment failure. Previous studies have shown that peritoneal mesothelial-mesenchymal cell transition (MMT) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of peritoneal adhesions and tumor peritoneal metastasis, and inhibition of MMT has become a new target for simultaneous anti-cancer and anti-adhesion therapy. Based on previous research, this project is based on the design idea of transforming factor TGF-β1 promoting the process of MMT, focusing on the key links of MMT in peritoneal adhesion and tumor peritoneal metastasis, and intends to prepare an ultra-soft、self-fusing and hydrogen-bonded crosslinked supramolecular hydrogel with highly controllable mechanical properties and construct a nanoparticles@hydrogel drug delivery system to co-deliver TGF-β1 siRNA and anti-tumor drugs. It is expected that the hydrogel itself exerts a barrier function to prevent adhesion, while effectively delivering nanoparticles locally, and further evaluates the efficacy of the drug delivery system to achieve simultaneous anti-cancer and anti-adhesion therapy in the animal model of postoperative adhesion and tumor peritoneal metastasis, and the mechanism of the drug delivery system is thoroughly probed on the cellular and molecular biological level, providing new ideas for the prevention of adhesions and tumor metastasis after tumor cytoreduction in the elderly.
To learn more about this proposal, email healthylongevity@nas.edu.