Focuses on retinoblastoma
I am Senthilkumar Palanisamy, a NanoBio4Can Fellow. My research focuses on retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that mostly affects young children. Current treatments like chemotherapy can save lives but often damage healthy tissue and cause strong side effects. My aim is to explore safer and more precise options.
In my project, I am working on a multimodal therapy approach, which combines different strategies in one treatment system. I use hyaluronic acid as a natural carrier to deliver tiny particles made of gold (Au) and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) directly to cancer cells. These nanoparticles can be loaded with medicines such as carboplatin and muramyl dipeptide. Together, they fight the tumor and help the immune system respond more strongly.
Recently, I completed the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles, the first milestone of this project. Although invisible to the eye, these nanoparticles can carry powerful drugs right to the cancer cells while reducing harm to healthy ones.
The hope is that this combined approach will make treatment more effective but less toxic for children. By targeting the cancer more precisely, we may be able to reduce side effects and improve the quality of life for patients.
Being part of the NanoBio4Can fellowship gives me the chance to collaborate with scientists across Europe and contribute to a larger effort in developing smarter cancer therapies. I look forward to sharing more updates on my research journey in the coming months.
Author: Senthilkumar Palanisamy, PhD
NanoBio4Can MSCA Co-Fund Fellow
Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM)