Nano@Liver – A new research collaboration
The Carl Zeiss Foundation has supported a joint research project between the universities of Mainz and Jena and their clinics for around 6 million euros for five years. The “Nano@Liver” project aims to use nanoparticles to transport active substances specifically to different liver cells. This will make liver diseases treatable and immune reactions in the liver more therapeutically influenced.
With “Nano@Liver”, the research groups involved want to use the unique properties of liver cells for innovative therapies and optimize the targeted transport of drugs to achieve a scientific breakthrough in nanomedicine and precise drug therapy. In a first-ever cross-border joint project between Mainz and Jena, the focus of research is on nanoparticulate drug carriers that are to be used for liver cell-specific therapies.
The project is being funded as part of the Carl Zeiss Foundation “Breakthroughs” program with around six million euros for the next five years. “One of the biggest problems in pharmacology is the inaccurate distribution of drugs in the body, which leads to unwanted side effects in other organs,” explains Prof. Dr. Stephan Grabbe, Director of the Dermatology Clinic and Polyclinic at the University Medical Center Mainz, who is leading the project together with Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, Director of the Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM) at the University of Jena. He explains: “With nanoparticles, we can address this problem by transporting active ingredients specifically to certain cells in the liver. This not only increases therapeutic efficiency but also opens up new therapy options.”
The paradox of precisely targeted nanoparticles
The liver is a particularly promising target organ for the use of nanoparticles, as it consists of a very heterogeneous cell tissue and can generally be easily targeted. However, it turns out that despite promising approaches, only a small proportion of the nanoparticles reach the desired target cells. The “Nano@Liver” project is therefore researching how nanoparticles can be specifically modified to specifically target different types of cells in the liver. Such cell-specific therapy would enable more targeted treatment of liver diseases such as fibrosis, inflammation, and even tumors and at the same time would have the potential to use the liver’s immunoregulatory function.
In addition to the targeted release of the active ingredients, the research team is relying on artificial intelligence (AI). With the help of AI models, the researchers want to precisely predict the distribution of nanoparticles in the body to further optimize the therapies. “Our AI-supported models are truly unique because they allow an exact prediction of how nanoparticles work in healthy and diseased organisms,” emphasize Stephan Grabbe and Ulrich S. Schubert.
Interdisciplinary and inter-university research
The interdisciplinary Mainz-Jena project team combines expertise from the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, artificial intelligence, immunology, and medicine – very good conditions for deciphering and further developing the processes important for the targeted placement of nanoparticles. The collaboration between Mainz and Jena, supported by renowned institutions and research-related companies, creates a solid foundation for achieving the ambitious goals of the project. The “Nano@Liver” project will not only promote scientific exchange between the locations, but the progress made in the project will also drive forward basic research and provide significant impetus for applied medicine. “Through the project, we will further strengthen the strong tradition of nanomedicine and the translation of research at both locations. Our goal is to build a sustainable research alliance that sets standards worldwide,” confirmed the two project leaders, Ulrich S. Schubert and Stephan Grabbe.