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Scientific

Two CiMUS (USC) research projects on innovative nanotechnology and new therapies for anaplastic cancer, funded by the Galician Innovation Agency with more than one million euros.

  • Within the framework of the IGNICIA / Proof of Concept Programme, which has a two-year duration and aims to promote the transfer of research results developed in Galician knowledge centers and their future industrial exploitation.
  • Led by Clara Álvarez, one of the projects supported by GAIN has discovered a novel therapeutic approach for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a rare, highly aggressive, and lethal type of cancer for which there is currently no treatment. The therapy is expected to apply to undifferentiated carcinomas of other organs.
  • The Nano-RNA platform, whose commercialization is planned through a new spin-off, is led by María José Alonso and represents a genuine innovation in nanotechnology, as it enables the transfection of primary cells and RNA-based cell therapies, in collaboration with the Galician Center for Advanced Therapies.

 

The industrial development of the results of two research projects carried out at CiMUS (USC) will be made possible thanks to the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) of the Xunta de Galicia, within the framework of its IGNICIA / Proof of Concept Programme. The public body will provide funding of more than one million euros (€1,023,500) over two years for two projects focused on new therapies for anaplastic cancer and a nanotechnological platform that represents a qualitative leap in immunological research and in the use of non-viral tools for the manufacture of cell therapies.

 

New cancer therapies

The project “siRNA as a Therapy for Anaplastic and Undifferentiated Carcinomas” is led by Clara Álvarez Villamarín at CiMUS (USC) and IDIS and has a total budget of €438,500 to develop, over two years, an innovative therapy (PIAS2b-RNAi) for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a rare and highly aggressive type of cancer for which there is currently no treatment. This new approach offers significant advantages over existing therapies, as anticancer efficacy has been demonstrated in studies using cells from patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinomas and other undifferentiated carcinomas of the lung, stomach, or pancreas, while at the same time no toxic effects have been observed in normal or benign cells also donated by patients.. 

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare malignant neoplasm but the most aggressive form, accounting for approximately 1–2% of all thyroid cancers and yet responsible for up to half of thyroid cancer–related deaths. The disease is more common in adult women, but it also affects men and younger patients. Despite advances in oncology, survival remains very short, commonly less than six months. Current standard treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy—used in combination—offer limited or no survival benefit and are often applicable only to early-stage disease. For metastatic ATC, therapeutic options are scarce and outcomes remain discouraging.

“Our innovation,” explains Clara Álvarez, “addresses this critical deficiency by providing an RNA interference therapy specific to each isoform, which selectively induces mitotic catastrophe (cell death) in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and undifferentiated carcinoma, in cell cultures derived from surplus samples donated by patients, and in preclinical trials using animal models.” This novel mechanism targets the essential mitotic protein PIAS2 beta, exploiting a vulnerability unique to these aggressive cancers. “Our research produced small amounts of the siRNA compound in the laboratory, but this is not a drug,” adds Álvarez Villamarín.

The IGNICIA project will enable the optimization of the siRNA to turn it into a therapeutic product that can be reviewed by and registered with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), so that clinical trials in patients can subsequently be developed. “This step is complex and not common in Spain due to the lack of technology; German and Swiss biotechnology companies are required and will be contracted thanks to IGNICIA, while in Galicia we will carry out functional tests in patient-derived cells. Importantly, the knowledge of this technology that we will acquire and the intellectual property will remain in Galicia thanks to the IGNICIA project. And the research group will do everything possible so that, by the end of the project, an agreement is reached with a pharmaceutical company dedicated to oncology, or that they themselves develop a technology-based spin-off in order to test the therapeutic product in clinical trials,” concludes the CiMUS researcher.

 

Nanotechnology at the forefront of a global medical transformation

The Nano-RNA Project – a nanotechnological platform for the transfection of primary cells and RNA-based autoimmune therapies – is led by María José Alonso at CiMUS (USC) and has a budget of €585,000 to develop an innovative nanotechnology platform. This technology addresses a critical unmet need not covered by current commercial reagents, enabling transfections with high efficiency and low toxicity, which are essential for the development of cell therapies such as CAR-T, while opening new possibilities for in vivo treatments.

The project is positioned at the forefront of RNA and cell therapies, harnessing the great potential of nanotechnology to overcome cellular barriers and access cells that are currently difficult to transfect. The Nano-RNA platform offers key advantages over lipid nanoparticles (LNPs, the reference system for RNA delivery): up to 150-fold higher efficiency in T cells, minimal toxicity, stability during storage and in biological fluids, and simpler manufacturing compatible with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) environments. The project already has strong in vitro and in vivo evidence, including effective administration via intravenous, intranasal, intratracheal, and intracerebral routes,” explains María José Alonso.

The platform targets two segments: (1) RUO reagents for immunological research, and (2) non-viral tools for the manufacture of cell therapies. The project includes clinical and industrial collaborations (the Public Healthcare Services Company GALARIA, Certest, Eli Lilly) and a multidisciplinary team led by María José Alonso, an international reference in nanomedicine, with 24 patent families and two spin-offs founded.

Commercialization is planned through a new spin-off that will lead product development, scale-up production, and strategic partnerships.

 

About CiMUS 

CiMUS at the University of Santiago de Compostela is dedicated to cutting-edge research in the field of chronic diseases. Its mission is to generate high-impact knowledge, connected to society and at the service of patients. Its activity is organized around two major programs: Molecular Mechanisms of Disease and Integrative Translational Research. These programs link fundamental knowledge with clinical translation, with a clear focus on technology transfer and therapeutic innovation

CiMUS is an open and collaborative center that promotes synergies with universities, healthcare centers, the business sector, and innovation entities at regional, national, and international levels. It holds the CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia (ED431G/2023/02), which endorses the quality and impact of its research, and is “funded by the Regional Ministry of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training” and “co-financed by the European Union” through the Galicia FEDER Programme 2021–2027. In addition, it has recently been accredited at the national level as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant CEX2024-001463-M).