The researcher Carlos Redondo from the MOBILIsE ERA Chair research team, has recently been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral fellowship, funded by the European Union. The financing, worth 157 thousand euros, was allocated to the D-PhosMate project, which aims to increase therapeutic options for glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing and very aggressive type of brain tumor.
Carlos Redondo, a chemist from Costa Rica, explains that he chose the i3S group Molecular Biomaterials, because of its “international reputation in the area of application of peptides with self-organization capacity in bionanotechnology, as well as the excellent infrastructure scientific research provided by the institute. These unique conditions will facilitate the translation of D-PhosMate into preclinical and clinical practice”.
As part of his project, Carlos will produce hydrogels with supramolecular biomaterials to be used as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. Hydrogels, explains the researcher, “are biocompatible, biodegradable, their molecular design minimizes possible into deep tissues”. The work aims at two very concrete applications of these hydrogels: “The post-operative treatment of glioblastoma and in vitro studies on the molecular mechanisms responsible for ectopic calcifications of various organs, namely kidneys, joints, heart valves, and arteries”.
The molecular tools provided by the D-PhosMate project, highlights the researcher, “will increase the therapeutic options available for cancer, contribute to improving pre-clinical research, increasing the success rates of clinical trials, and improving the quality of life of patients in need of innovative therapies”.