Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from nerve cells called neuroblasts left behind from development in the womb. It accounts for 10% of childhood cancer cases and an astonishing 15% of cancer deaths in children. Current treatment includes surgery (to remove tumours) and chemotherapy, but there is still a 50% fatality rate in children diagnosed aged one or above.
Astonishingly an airborne mould called ‘Aspergillus’ found in the air we breathe may hold the key in the fight against this devastating childhood cancer. While this mould is known to make antibiotic drugs used to treat bacterial infections, it can also make drugs that treat cancer. But to date, no research has been carried out into the ability of this mould to kill childhood cancers such as neuroblastoma.
A major issue in current chemotherapies is the ability to target delivery to the site where cancer is growing, this is necessary as chemotherapy is toxic to all cells (not just cancer cells) so it is important that damage to healthy cells is limited. In the fight against cancer, chemistry experts are developing ‘nanotechnology’ which describes miniscule molecules, which help get the drug to the site where cancer is flourishing.
At the University of Salford, we intend to bring together the drugs derived from mould and a special nanotechnology called ‘metal organic frameworks (MOFs)’. These MOFs are essentially a chemical chaperone, which encase the active drug and protect it until it reaches the site where it is required, limiting damage it can do in healthy cells. This method of drug design not only reduces side effects but also promises to enhance treatment efficacy by ensuring drugs reach cancerous cells.
Grant Award – Fellowship 2019-2022
Funding Award – £63,176
Funding Awarded to – Dr Rosa Arrigo
Research Location – University of Salford
Lead Researcher – Dr Rosa Arrigo
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