After four years of research, the BOW project, which is a pioneer in the therapeutic use of extracellular vesicles, is closed. The basic objective was to investigate a to consolidate a technology capable of coating magnetic nanoparticles with extracellular vesicles which can thus interact on cellular systems.
The project met all its objectives. The first was to create vesicles that come from cell membranes and are the ones that communicate between cells. USC’s challenge was to create nanoparticles that were magnetic and optical to get inside the vesicles. “Nanoparticles.” can be used for contrast in magnetic resonance imaging and on the other hand, by a little radiation, they produce heat and They can serve as therapy in the fight against some types of cancer“, comments José Rivas in an interview with EL CORREO GALLEGO. The final stage occurred in the apparatus responsible for coating the vesicle particles.
Rivas defines these vesicles as a medium “that can carry biological information or drugs and can act against cancer or other diseases.” Starting with a basic research idea is the next step to reach the clinical and commercial areas. “This project is a good example of science at the service of society,” he says.
“Nanoparticles can be used for contrast in magnetic resonance imaging, and on the other hand, through small radiation, they produce heat and can serve as a therapy to fight certain types of cancer.”
The first problem was to put the various aspects into context such a multidisciplinary project. “It was not easy to understand everything from physics and inorganic chemistry to molecular biology,” he says. And then it was necessary adapt the design of nanoparticles to the requirements of this new technology. “Our group has been making them for years, but we have to make sure they are not toxic and are not rejected by the new biological elements. It was all hard at first,” he says.
The researcher talks about a pioneering projectbecause until now “vesicles and magnetic particles have not been used simultaneously. “Being able to see how a vesicle carries information from one cell to another, and to see the trajectory or act on it to then modify the behavior of the neighboring cell, is novel,” he says. Participating in BOW was a great experience for Rivas. “Such a multidisciplinary character opened my mind to the future.”
It also acknowledges the fact that the project is registered in the European Innovation Radar “turn research into reality”.
José Rivas assures that it was initially a “scientifically ground-breaking and very risky” project whose mission was to go to market. “The clinical exit is the firstbut there are many possibilities that we still need to discuss in detail,” he declares.
The BOW project had an investment of 4.5 million euros, of which USC accounted for 400,000 euros.
