PRR Project

Summary

Job Description:We are looking for a motivated and skilled Assistant Researcher in Pharmaceutical Technology, with a specific focus on the development and characterization of innovative drug delivery systems with potential to overcome biological barriers and deliver drugs directly in the targeted tissue/organ, avoiding toxic effects. The ideal candidate will conduct pioneering research, in collaboration with the UCIBIO/i4HB team, in a fundamental area for health and well-being, through the development of more effective medicines used in the treatment of the main pathologies that affect an increasingly aging population.Responsabilities:Design and develop new drug delivery systems to overcome biological barriers, with a special focus on blood brain barrier and tumor tissues.Investigate new lines, tools, and methods to prepare and characterize nanosystems functionalized with target-specific ligands and drug delivery systems based on polymers that respond to stimuli from the surrounding environment.Promote meetings and seminars between the team of researchers.Participate in the preparation of reports, scientific publications, and presentations at conferences on topics related to innovative targeted and sustained release drug delivery systems.Contribute to the preparation of funding proposals.Establish collaborations with interdisciplinary teams to develop and characterize innovative systems for treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.Supervise undergraduate, master´s and PhD students.Scientific Profile:The ideal candidate will possess PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences with specialization in Pharmaceutical Technology or Nanotechnology. He/She should have specific knowledge in stimuli-responsive polymers and functionalization of nanosystems, as well as expertise in characterization and analysis methods of different types of pharmaceutical systems. Experience in supervising pre- and postgraduate students. High teamwork and communication skills. Fluency in EnglishRationale:The recruitment of UCIBIO/i4HB Chair in pharmaceutical technology is in line with UCIBIO´s/i4HB strategy of translating research into future products and patient care.  This work falls under the UCIBIO thematic line of "Diagnostics, Drug Discovery and Development”, which is dedicated to finding innovative therapies for incurable diseases, which requires a multidisciplinary approach, a defining characteristic of our Unit.Conventional medicines used in the treatment of cancer have several limitations, including low specificity, ubiquitous distribution, low concentration in the target tissue and toxicity. As a result, most of the therapeutic agents used in these pathologies can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, immune suppression, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, anemia and even death. Due to the specific physicochemical characteristics of solid tumors (slightly higher temperature, hypoxia, accumulation of acidic metabolites, low extracellular pH values, low blood pressure and greater permeability of the capillary network), the use of hydrogels based on stimuli-responsive polymers constitutes a promising strategy to increase the therapeutic efficacy of antitumor drugs, minimizing their side effects. In situ gelation systems can be injected in the form of a polymer solution and transform into hydrogels at the injection site, forming deposits that allow prolonged drug release with less side effects.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, characterized by irreversible degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. It is extremely debilitating, and within a span of 3 to 5 years, this condition progresses, leading to generalized muscle weakness. Despite major investment in ALS therapeutic research, most clinical trials have had disappointing results. Several factors could have contributed to these outcomes, including the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), or even inadequate drug physicochemical properties (e.g., low aqueous solubility or insufficient bioavailability and stability), which affect their penetration and activity in the central nervous system (CNS). As most pharmaceuticals are unable to reach the brain at effective therapeutic concentrations, there is a need to develop strategies for CNS drug targeting and delivery.In this sense, the hiring of an assistant researcher will allow to develop innovative, effective and safer drug delivery systems based on stimuli-responsive hydrogels for intratumoral administration of drugs. Thus, antitumor drugs and drug-loaded nanoparticles will be incorporated into stimuli-responsive hydrogels intended to be implanted into tumors to maintain a high drug concentration in the target tissue for a long period of time, reducing toxic side effects and avoiding the need for repeated administrations.