Nanobiotix reports ‘proof of concept’ for nanoparticles in treating brain cancer

23 April 2009

Nanomedicine company Nanobiotix has announced that an independent preclinical study has validated the applicability of using its nanoparticles — nanoPDT — to treat glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most prevalent brain tumours.

Nanobiotix expects to attract corporate partners for the development of nanoPDT as the Company focuses development efforts on its nanoXray technology.

Co-funded by Nanobiotix and Cancéropôle Lyon Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (‘CLARA’), the ‘proof-of-concept’ preclinical study was conducted by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (‘INSERM’) under principal investigator and neuro-oncologist Prof. and Med. dr. Jérôme Honnorat.

Laurent Lévy, PhD, President and CEO of Nanobiotix and Co-President of the French Technology Platform on Nanotechnology (FTPN), said, "Our nanotechnology is designed to allow for the precise destruction of cancer cells via the controlled application of an outside-the-body energy source — in this case, a laser beam.

"Of course, there is much more work to be done, but we are extremely encouraged by these preclinical findings, which dramatically demonstrate the therapeutic effect of nanoparticles on glioblastoma and open the possibility of a new weapon with which neuro-oncologists might fight this difficult-to-treat tumour."

"The nanoPDT particles allow for the controlled generation of physical reactions in targeted cells when triggered by the application of an external energy source — a laser beam in this case. This may have significant ramifications for cancer therapy in the not-too-distant future,” added Paras N Prasad, PhD, one of the world’s leading authorities on nanotechnology and one of the inventors of the Nanobiotix technology.

Dr Prasad is a co-founder of Nanobiotix and Executive Director of the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics at SUNY (Buffalo, US).

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