Abstract
Even if new molecules are discovered to treat severe diseases, the clinical efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutics is hampered by drug resistance and non-specific biodistribution. Advanced nanodevices may overcome some of these limitations. This will be illustrated by several advanced nanomedicine platforms:
- The design of biodegradable doxorubicin-loaded polyalkylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles for the treatment of the multidrug resistant hepatocarcinoma (a nanomedicine with phase III clinical trials ended).
- The construction of nanoparticles made of metal oxide frameworks (NanoMOFs), a highly hyperporous material obtained by the complexation of iron oxide clusters with diacids.
- The "squalenoylation", a technology that takes advantage of the squalene's dynamically folded molecular conformation, to link this natural and biocompatible lipid with drug molecules to achieve the spontaneous formation of nanoassemblies (100-300 nm). These squalene-based nanoparticles are using the circulating LDL as "indirect" carriers for targeting cancer cells with high expression of LDL receptors. The application of the "squalenoylation" concept to the treatment of cancer and neurological disorders will be discussed too.
Patrick Couvreur
Patrick Couvreur is a Professor Emeritus at Université Paris-Saclay and a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He held the Liliane Bettencourt Chair of Technological Innovation at the Collège de France in 2010 and is also a member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF). A world-renowned expert in drug delivery and nanomedicine, his research focuses on the use of nanotechnologies to develop targeted therapies for severe diseases, particularly cancer and central nervous system disorders. He has founded three start-ups, one of which was listed on the stock exchange and led the development of a nanomedicine that reached phase III clinical trials for the treatment of resistant hepatocellular carcinoma. Professor Couvreur is also a member of the French National Academy of Medicine, the Academy of Technologies, and served as President of the French Academy of Pharmacy in 2020. Internationally, he is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium, the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy in Spain, and the Japan Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology. He has received numerous prestigious awards both in France and abroad, including the Host Madsen medal, the CNRS Innovation Medal, the Galien Prize, and the European Inventor Award.
