Laboratories : IAB and DCM - 01/10/2020 - 01/10/2023

Thesis project holders : Virgine FAURE et Olivier RENAUDET      
Young thesis researcher : Sean MORO.

Abstract Our project was to overcome radioresistance in lung cancer cells by combining radiotherapy with a theranostic system using radiosensitizing gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) able to deliver siRNA targeting TRF2 protein, one of the key players in telomeric radioprotective response.
Following the synthesis and characterization of the nanosystem, our results have shown that AuNCs were capable to interact with siRNA, to protect them and to deliver them efficiently into lung cancer cells. We demonstrated that this nanosystem increased significantly the radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells after X-rays exposure. Finally, the specific targeting of tumor cells was improved by modifying the surface of AuNCs in order to target GLUTs transporters, which are overexpressed in a wide variety of cancers.



Publications :
“Gold Nanoparticle Translocation Across a Droplet Interface Bilayer via Dark-Field Microscopy“, Jean-Baptiste Fleury, Sean Moro, Virginie Faure and Xavier Le Guével.
“Self-assembled gold nanoclusters with telomere targeting to enhance radiotherapy in lung cancer cells”, Sean Moro, Mohammed Omniri, Muriel Jourdan, Pau Bernardo, Jean-Luc Coll, Olivier Renaudet, Xavier Le Guével and Virginie Faure.
“Improving cellular accumulation of GLUT1-based drug delivery RAFT platform” Sean Moro, Mylène Pezet, Jean-Luc Coll, Virginie Faure and Olivier Renaudet.