Precision nanomedicine: Shaping cellulose nanocrystals (ShapeCell)

This technology addresses the problem related to the development of reliable custom nanomaterials for precision medicine applications. Improving the ability of nanotechnologies to target specific cells or tissues allows associated drugs and therapeutics to reach diseased tissue while avoiding healthy cells. While this is a promising area of research, very few nanomedicines exist that successfully utilize nanotechnology in this way.

Moreover, to make nanomaterials able to work in such a way and to ensure a bench-to-bedside perspective, the manufacturing process requires careful evaluation. The grafting of multiple cargos on nanoparticles surface may result in an increased complexity of the nanoparticles and it is often a crucial bottle neck that significantly affects the bench-to-bedside translation. In some cases, this might limit the ability of drug manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies to produce large quantities of nanomedicines. If issues related to production are not addressed, companies will not be so eager to invest resources into this industry. However, more innovative designs have been met so far with synthesis challenges. 

The developed technology ia a biocompatible, modular, and multifunctional nanoplatform which mainly consists of cellulose nanocrystal, a cheap nanomaterial easily prepared on industrial scale from different renewable and waste source. Modularity ensures multifunctionality: the nanomaterial has a modular structure whose composition can be tailored by including multiple components, without increasing the complexity of the nanomaterial, to be suitable for the specific application in precision nanomedicine.

This programmable nanoplatform is easy accessed by exploiting a scalable straightforward one-step protocol which is robust, reliable, and eco-friendly and provide the bioactive nanomaterial custom engineered with bioactive small molecules with high batch-to-batch reproducibility.

The protocol employed ensures:
- Control of the nanomaterial biological identity;
- Control nanomaterial specific cell localization;
- High batch-to-batch reproducibility;
- Control of the small molecules loading on nanoparticles surface;
- Grafting of up to 3 different small molecules on the nanomaterial surface.

Moreover, cellulose nanocrystals are unique materials that allow to access to different formulations harnessing diverse drug administration routes: Topical, Parenteral – Intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous. Thus, the versatility of this nanomaterial allows to access to route of administration according with the specific application. Indeed, they can be formulated as dispersion in biological buffers that can be used for parenteral (intravenous) administration. In addition, cellulose nanocrystals spontaneously assemble into gels or 3D self-assembled structures.

 IP rights: EP4531929
CN119486764
18/869,698 US
Owners: IEO, Università degli Studi di Firenze