The laboratory aims to understand the biological mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of malignant brain tumors , and to identify and characterize novel molecular targets for targeted therapies, including cell and gene therapy, against high grade gliomas.
APPLICATION OF CELL MICROENCAPSULATION TECHNOLOGY TO THE TREATMENT OF BRAIN DISORDERS
The limited passage of drugs through the blood brain barrier and the short half-life of locally injected therapeutic molecules are major hurdles for efficient delivery of therapeutic compounds to the diseased brain. Cell-based delivery systems, e.g. cell micro-encapsulation devices, provide continuous delivery of the biologically active compound in situ and are a promising strategy for therapeutic applications in the brain. In this project we apply cell encapsulation technology to deliver growth-inhibitory and anti-angiogenic proteins in tumor-bearing mice.
