With "Nano@Liver", the participating research groups want to use the unique properties of liver cells for innovative therapies and optimise the targeted transport of drugs in order to achieve a scientific breakthrough in nanomedicine and precise drug therapy. In the first transnational joint project between Mainz and Jena, nanoparticulate drug carriers are the focus of research, which are to be used for liver cell-specific therapies.
"One of the biggest problems in pharmacology is the inaccurate distribution of drugs in the body, which leads to unwanted side effects in other organs," declares Professor Stephan Grabbe, Director of the Department of Dermatology and Polyclinic at the Mainz University Medical Centre, who is leading Schubert, Director of the Jena Centre for Soft Matter (JCSM) at the University of Jena. He explains: "We can address this problem with nanoparticles by transporting active substances specifically into certain cells of the liver. This not only increases therapeutic efficiency, but also opens up new treatment options."
The paradox of precisely targeted nanoparticles
The liver is a particularly promising target organ for the use of nanoparticles, as it consists of very heterogeneous cell tissue and can, in principle, be easily targeted. However, despite promising approaches, it has been shown that only a small proportion of nanoparticles actually reach the desired target cells. The "Nano@Liver" project is therefore investigating how nanoparticles can be specially modified to specifically target different cell types in the liver. Such a cell-specific therapy would enable a more targeted treatment of liver diseases such as fibrosis, inflammation and even tumours and would also have the potential to exploit the immunoregulatory function of the liver.In addition to the targeted release of active substances, the research team is also relying on artificial intelligence (AI). The researchers want to use AI models to precisely predict the distribution of nanoparticles in the body in order to further optimise the therapies. "Our AI-supported models are truly unique, as they allow us to accurately predict how nanoparticles act in healthy and diseased organisms," emphasise Stephan Grabbe and Ulrich S. Schubert.
