Targeting mTOR-Driven Brain Tumours with Ferroptosis-Inducing Functionalised Nanoparticles

Brain cancer is one of the deadliest and most difficult types of cancer to treat. Many drugs are unable to reach brain tumours because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a natural defence system that protects the brain from harmful substances. This barrier also blocks most chemotherapy drugs, making treatment less effective. There is an urgent need for new ways to deliver medicines to brain tumours safely and effectively. 

This project focuses on developing a new type of treatment using specially designed nanoparticles that can more effectively travel across the BBB and directly access brain cancer cells. We are building on promising early research that shows how these nanoparticles can be guided to target tumours that rely heavily on iron, a feature of aggressive brain cancers. Once inside the tumour, nanoparticles will release genetic material that blocks cancer cell survival mechanisms and will also trigger a type of iron-based cell death called ferroptosis. 

This work could lead to more effective brain cancer treatments and improve survival for patients in Wales and beyond.