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

Perseus正在开发一种新的基于纳米技术的癌症治疗方法，用于治疗深层次的、临床上无法处理的、耐药的和转移性肿瘤。纳米技术在临床癌症护理中的实际应用仍处于起步阶段，其全部潜力尚未实现。这种治疗是基于一种由多功能2D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实现了一种有效的多模式治疗，副作用最小或没有。这一新的范例使用CT X光不是用来根除癌症，而是用来触发和成像局部激活非突变溶瘤机制的NS。这种治疗效果是由于CT扫描仪中的低能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的抗原来诱导免疫原性细胞死亡，从而触发抗癌免疫反应。X射线的使用使人们有可能接触到可见光或近红外线光基疗法无法接触到的深层肿瘤。换句话说，CT是点燃火柴的火花。对于一个雄心勃勃、高风险的项目来说，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是生物相容的，在没有CT辐射的情况下也完全不起作用，即NS只在CT束被发射的地方变得活跃，因此将对远端部位的副作用降至最低。这种疗法与癌症类型和性别发病率无关，因为它不会影响人体生化。这是范式的第二次改变。珀尔修斯背后的愿景是由一个由物理学家、化学家、化学工程师、生物学家、内科医生、药理学家和放射学家组成的多学科团队追求的，他们共同努力开发一种创新的纳米技术方法，以满足未得到满足的临床需求。

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.