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Tag: Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University

LETI scientists invent cancer treatment with nanomagnets

Posted on by Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University

Oncological diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The number of cancer cases is increasing every year — according to scientists from the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2040, specialists will diagnose 28.4 million new cases of cancer, 47 percent more than in 2020.

Today, one of the main methods of treating different tumors is chemotherapy using cytostatics, which disrupt the growth of both cancer cells and healthy cells.

“One of the promising approaches aimed at solving the problem of cytostatics toxicity is the method of targeted transport of drugs using nanoscale carriers that provide local accumulation of drugs in tumor tissue without increasing their concentration in healthy organs and tissues,” commented Kamil Gareev, Associate Professor of the Department of Micro- and Nanoelectronics at ETU “LETI.”

Scientists from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” and their colleagues from the Almazov National Medical Research Center proposed a new approach of using magnetic nanoparticles in target drug delivery. The results will form the basis for the development of magnetically controlled transport of cytostatic drugs into tumor tissue.

The essence of the described principle is to place a stent — a mesh made of a shape-memory alloy with neodymium magnets attached to it — into the cavitary organ affected by the tumor. Over several cycles of blood circulation, the magnetic nanoparticles concentrate at the site with the stent.

“In vivo experiments confirm that there is a concentration of particles in the tissue. This suggests that in the foreseeable future, it will be possible to move on to preclinical studies,” says Kamil Gareev.

At this stage, scientists mathematically calculated the optimal magnetic field characteristics for controlling magnetic nanoscale drug carriers in the body, synthesized a conjugate of magnetic nanoscale particles and a fluorescent agent, and developed a protocol for their visualization in the body. Plans of the researchers include the transition to experiments on more advanced biogenic particles.

Researchers create a multifunctional biochip to diagnose chronic diseases

Posted on by Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University

Today, the most important problem of biomedical analysis is the prompt diagnosis of chronic diseases – in particular, cardiovascular diseases, which are the main cause of mortality, according to the WHO. Timely diagnosis and care are often decisive factors determining the disease’s progression. The main preclinical diagnostic tool is electrocardiography, which, however, often fails to identify the developing myocardial infarction.

“Today, there is a growing prevalence of chronic and systemic diseases in the population, such as cardiovascular diseases – heart attack, stroke, chronic heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, pancreatitis, and others. At the time when HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria are spreading, these problems seem less important, but WHO statistics show that it is chronic diseases that lead to reduced life expectancy, disability, etc. Therefore, cheap, timely, and accurate diagnosis of chronic diseases is crucial for successful treatment and prevention of their development,” says Tatiana Zimina, Associate Professor of Department of Micro- and Nanoelectronics of ETU “LETI”.

According to scientists, it is more reliable to confirm the diagnosis using biochemical methods, namely the analysis of disease biomarkers in the blood. LETI scientists suggested using new approaches when creating tests: identification of protein markers (proteomics), bioinformatics, and others.

“Currently, a large number of protein biomarkers of diseases have been identified. Based on this, we can build a system that allows prompt decision-making for each patient. However, the existing means of a biochemical diagnosis of chronic diseases are expensive and labor-intensive, and some of them have unsatisfactory accuracy,” explains researcher.

The LETI research team aims to find ways to create a cheap and versatile biochip-based system for a rapid diagnosis of chronic diseases. The work is conducted jointly with the Almazov National Medical Research Centre. The team includes specialists in biophysics, information technology, micro- and nanoelectronics, biochemistry, nanotechnology, precision mechanics, and other areas.

“There are three complementary areas in the project: modeling the spatial structures of proteins using bioinformatics, verification of modeling results with experimental results of analysis of biochemical properties of proteins, and development of lab-on-a-chip for rapid disease diagnostics,” says Oleg Markelov, Head of the “Advanced Wireless Technologies” area at ETU “LETI.”

At the first stage, LETI scientists will assemble a library of protein markers characterizing a particular disease. In the second stage, they will develop a compact hybrid-integrated circuit board (biochip). Scientists will teach it to recognize various disease protein markers with high accuracy and selectively capture them. In addition, the project will develop a methodology for diagnosing chronic diseases using biochips. LETI researchers have already begun systematizing known biomarkers related to human physiological parameters.

LETI scientists and their colleagues from the Almazov Center plan to develop a biochip-based system by 2024. A patient will have to submit blood or saliva samples for analysis. The test result will be ready within half an hour, which is tens of times faster than traditional blood tests. After receiving the patient’s express results, the doctor will be able to decide if more thorough quantitative tests are necessary.