Project Portugal 2030

Summary

The ageing of the population in modern societies in the western world has led to a growing need for blood and blood products for transfusions during surgery and other medical procedures, and at the same time to a drastic reduction in their hospital reserves. One of the possible solutions to this problem is the development of artificial fluid systems capable of storing, transporting and delivering oxygen, thus reducing the need for blood transfusions in specific and unique clinical situations such as haemorrhagic shock, cardiac ischaemia or surgical interventions. With their unusual ability to dissolve gaseous substances, fluorocarbons are good candidates for non-permanent use as oxygen carriers or blood substitutes in specific situations. Since they have to be administered in an aqueous environment, their use requires a formulation in the form of aqueous nano-emulsions whose stability is essential for their use in a clinical context. These emulsions (stabilised with surfactants) can also be used to oxygenate tissues exposed to neoplastic treatments (radiotherapy and chemotherapy), where oxygenation is essential, since singlet oxygen or other oxygen radicals are ultimately the active species attacking the affected tissues. One of the main objectives of this project is to develop new formulations of oxygen transport emulsions based on fluorocarbons, mainly aimed at tissue oxygenation as a means of preventing hypoxic situations in the context of oncological treatment. The aim is to improve the stability and biocompatibility of the emulsions, building on the progress made with third-generation emulsions. To this end, we intend to test compounds from the perfluoroalkylalkane family as the main components of the dispersed phase (active ingredient) and a wide range of surfactants, including proteins, fluorosurfactants, liposomes and cell membranes. The proposal of new emulsions is expected to be the result of a systematic work that includes the study of the properties of their components in order to make an initial selection of the components to be used, the study of the stability of emulsions prepared with the selected components and the study of the oxygenation of cells and mini-organs in vitro. Another objective is to propose new inverse emulsions to be used in the context of liquid ventilation, allowing the transport of drugs during application. In this case, the aim is to test a series of fluorinated surfactants (also selected through a systematic study of their properties) in order to guarantee their stability. In this case, a systematic approach to the problem will also be followed, culminating in online drug delivery tests.