i3S leads project to develop ultrasound-activated nanomedicines for the treatment of glioblastoma
A team of i3S researchers has received funding from the UT Austin Portugal Programme to develop a project on the “Treatment of glioblastoma through nanotherapies based on hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks for ultrasound-activated local release of bevacizumab”. This project was one of those selected by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) as part of an international collaboration initiative with the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).
With total funding of 150,000 euros, of which 50,000 euros are provided by the FCT and 100,000 euros by UT Austin, the project is the result of a collaboration between the i3S research group Nanomedicines & Translational Drug Delivery and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the United States university, coordinated in Portugal by Bruno Sarmento and in the United States of America by Professor Huiliang Wang.
“The project aims to develop a new generation of intelligent nanomedicines for the treatment of glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain tumours,” explains Ana Catarina Pacheco, an i3S researcher. The strategy combines innovative nanoparticles with targeted ultrasound to enable the localised, controlled release of bevacizumab. This drug reduces the formation of blood vessels that feed the tumour and promote its growth.
The team will draw on hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), highly biocompatible supramolecular materials capable of encapsulating therapeutic proteins and responding to external stimuli. When exposed to targeted ultrasound, these nanoparticles undergo structural changes that trigger the release of the drug only in the tumour region.
“This approach makes it possible to separate the systemic distribution of the drug from its therapeutic activation,” adds i3S researcher Cláudia Martins. “The bevacizumab circulates encapsulated and inactive in the body, being released only at the intended site through the application of ultrasound. In this way, we expect to significantly reduce the adverse effects associated with conventional therapy and increase the effectiveness of the treatment”, she concludes.
Glioblastoma is characterised by high vascularisation and strong resistance to currently available treatments. Although bevacizumab is used in clinical practice to control the progression of the disease, its systemic administration can cause a number of complications, including hypertension, the formation of blood clots, and haemorrhages. In addition, the brain has a protective barrier that limits the amount of the drug that reaches the tumour.
To overcome these challenges, the researchers will develop and optimise nanoparticles capable of carrying the drug safely to the brain and releasing it only once activated by ultrasound. The project includes studies in 3D cell models and in animal models of glioblastoma, making it possible to assess therapeutic efficacy, systemic safety, and the impact of the strategy on tumour progression and survival.
According to Bruno Sarmento, this funding also represents an opportunity to consolidate a line of research that the group has been developing in recent years in the field of nanomedicine for the treatment of brain tumours. “This project will allow us to continue the work we have carried out in developing advanced drug-delivery systems for glioblastoma, now exploring an innovative approach that combines nanotechnology and ultrasound to achieve greater therapeutic precision,” explains the research group leader.
The 2025 Exploratory Projects Call of the UT Austin Portugal programmes funded a total of 8 projects out of 41 applications, corresponding to an overall investment of almost 400,000 euros, financed entirely by the FCT.
