Review of nanotherapeutics based on HPMA copolymers
Scientists from the Department of Biomedical Polymers have published a comprehensive review article describing the issue of HPMA polymer systems associated with the use of the so-called EPR effect in the treatment of solid tumors. Dr. Petr Chytil, Dr. Libor Kostka and Dr. Tomáš Etrych have published the review in the Journal of Personalized Medicine.
Well-water-soluble hydrophilic polymeric materials have recently been the focus of attention in the development of new systems for the targeted delivery of medicinal or bioactive substances in general. The ability to effectively accumulate in solid tumors is certainly important, thus increasing the content of the active substance at the site of treatment, which is one of the main areas of work of scientists from the Department of Biomedical Polymers. In a new review article published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine, scientists from the IMC thoroughly described new findings concerning the development of polymer transport systems using a phenomenon called EPR effect. The article focuses on one of the most studied water-soluble polymers, consisting of copolymers based on HPMA, which was developed at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry.
"In the last three decades, the development of biomedical polymers at our Institute has been a key figure of the recently deceased Prof. Ing. Karel Ulbrich, DrSc., one of the leading Czech scientists of recent years, to whose memory we want to dedicate this work. Professor Ulbrich combined the personality of an excellent scientist, a teacher, a mentor and, last but not least, a reliable colleague and person," says Dr. Tomáš Etrych, Head of the Department of Biomedical Polymers, about his predecessor Professor Karel Ulbrich, a great scientist in the field of polymer chemistry.
Cooperation with Prof. Hiroshi Maeda
In complex review scientists have presented a comprehensive and illustrative overview of in-use polymer systems based on HPMA copolymers, their applications, methods to increase the accumulation of drugs in solid tumors, and also inflammatory deposits. Scientists from the IMC were invited to prepare this work by Prof. Hiroshi Maeda, academic editor of a special issue devoted to the use of the EPR effect, which was firstly described by Prof. Maeda. "We have the honor of having a number of collaborations with Professor Maeda. Our joint research has led to the creation of a number of interesting scientific publications," says Dr. Petr Chytil.
Development of biomaterials not only for cancer patients
The Department of Biomedical Polymers is dedicated to the design of the structure, synthesis and characterization of new polymer systems that may be useful as nanotherapeutics or nanodiagnostics. The aim of the researchers is to prepare polymeric biomaterials enabling targeted drug delivery, visualization of tumor or inflammatory tissue, influencing the tumor microenvironment and overcoming biological barriers in the treatment of serious diseases. "We focus on finding various polymeric structures that have their biological function based on their tailor-made structure. We believe that such biomaterials will find applications in the treatment of serious illnesses in the near future, " adds Dr. Libor Kostka.
