Polymer Therapeutics

With many products already on the market, two of them top-ten best selling drugs in the USA (Copaxone and Neulasta), polymer therapeutics has already attained clinical proof-of-concept; however, new opportunities to expand and develop this technological platform still exist in areas such as: i) the delivery of single/combination anti-cancer agents directed against novel molecular targets; ii) the development of novel polymeric materials with defined architectures; and iii) the treatment of diseases other than cancer, such as neurodegeneration.

The polymer therapeutics laboratory at the CIPF focuses on these exciting areas of investigation. Our research activity aims to design advanced polymer conjugates—novel therapeutic and/or diagnostic nanopharmaceuticals with applications in metastatic cancer, neurodegeneration, and tissue regeneration, among others.

We are taking several approaches to develop specific, effective therapeutic polymer-based treatments for a range of diseases and disorders. This includes the development of polypeptide-based biodegradable carriers, the application of combination therapies, and the design of nanoconjugates and hybrid systems specific to novel molecular targets.

Additionally, we have implemented quantitative tools to assess the in vitro and in vivo fate of polymer therapeutics, which has allowed us to investigate how spatial conformation affects trafficking, pharmacokinetics, and whole-body biodistribution, thus opening up the exploration of a range of future clinical applications.