PERSEUS --- 2D Material-Based Multiple Oncotherapy Against Metastatic Disease Using a Radically New Computed Tomography Approach

PERSEUS正在开发一种基于纳米技术的新型癌症治疗方法，用于治疗深部、临床难以控制、耐药和转移性肿瘤。纳米技术在临床癌症治疗中的实际应用仍处于起步阶段，其全部潜力尚未实现。该处理是基于一种由多功能二维层状纳米晶体组成的新型纳米系统（NS）。在计算机断层扫描（CT） x射线的激活下，NS可以实现有效的多模式治疗，副作用最小或没有副作用。这种新模式使用CT x射线不是为了根除癌症，而是触发并成像局部激活非诱变溶瘤机制的NS。治疗效果是由于CT扫描仪将低能x射线转化为热、活性氧和放射增敏剂。x射线照射还可以通过暴露或释放新抗原来诱导免疫原性细胞死亡，从而引发抗癌免疫反应。x射线的使用使得能够触及深层肿瘤，而这些肿瘤是可见光或近红外光疗法无法触及的。换句话说，CT是点燃火柴的火花。对于一个雄心勃勃的高风险项目来说，这是一个激进的愿景。该项目针对一系列癌症类型，包括转移性三阴性乳腺癌、肝细胞癌、结直肠癌、胰腺导管腺癌。NS具有生物相容性，并且在没有CT辐射的情况下完全无活性，即NS仅在CT束传递时才具有活性，从而最大限度地减少远端部位的副作用。这种疗法与癌症的类型和性别发病率无关，因为它不影响人体的生物化学。这是范式的第二个变化。珀尔修斯背后的愿景所追求的是一个多学科小组由物理学家、化学家、化学工程师、生物学家、医生、药理学家,和放射科医生,共同努力开发一种创新的纳米方法解决未满足临床需求。

PERSEUS is developing a novel nanotechnology-based cancer treatment for deep-seated, clinically unmanageable, drug-resistant, and metastatic tumours. Practical use of nanotechnology in clinical cancer care is still in its infancy, its full potential yet to be realised. The treatment is based on a novel nano-system (NS) made of multifunctional 2D-layered nanocrystals. The NS enables, under activation by computed tomography (CT) X-rays, an effective multimodal therapy with minimal or no adverse effects. This novel paradigm uses CT X-rays not to eradicate cancer, but to trigger and to image the NS that locally activates non-mutagenic oncolytic mechanisms. The therapeutic effect is due to the conversion of low energy X-rays from CT scanners into heat, reactive oxygen species, and radiosensitising agents. X-ray irradiation can also induce immunogenic cell death with the exposure or release of neo-antigens to trigger an anti-cancer immune response. The use of X-rays makes it possible to reach deep-seated tumours that are inaccessible by visible or near-infrared light-based therapies. In other words, CT is the spark that lights the match. This is a radical vision for an ambitious and high-risk project. The project targets a range of cancer types, including metastatic triple negative breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The NS is biocompatible and also totally inactive in the absence of CT radiation, i.e. the NS becomes active only where the CT beam is delivered, hence minimising side effects at distal sites. The therapy is agnostic to the type of cancer and to gender incidence because it doesn't affect the body biochemistry. This is a second change of paradigm. The vision behind PERSEUS is pursued by a multidisciplinary team composed of physicists, chemists, chemical engineers, biologists, physicians, pharmacologists, and radiologists, working together to develop an innovative nanotechnological approach to address unmet clinical needs.