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Dr. Alicja Mikołajczyk awarded during the ChinaNanomedicine 2023 Conference in Guangzhou
Dr. Alicja Mikołajczyk presented results of the scientific research conducted within the NanoCARRIERS project (2021/40/Q/ST5/00117) financed by the Polish National Science Center, headed by the Head of theLaboratory of Environmental Chemoinformatics at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Gdańsk: Prof. dr hab. Tomasz Puzyn.
"In the NanoCARRIERS project, we conduct research based on the hypothesis that the integration of molecular modeling (MM) methods with machine learning (ML) methods will enable reduction of research time and costs as well as greater selectivity and effectiveness of newly designed drug carriers based on nanoparticles. This will significantly increase the potential of in silico methods as tools supporting the process of rapid design and initial verification (at the stage of preclinical research) of the safety of nanoparticles in medical applications, for example: nanoparticles used as carriers of drugs to the brain or genetic material (RNA)" says Dr. Alicja Mikołajczyk.
Developing new strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is currently one of the most difficult and expensive tasks for pharmacy. Only a small number (3-5%) of substances considered for drug use reach the market because most of them are unable to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Various types of nanoparticles (NPs) are being considered as potential drug carriers to the brain. In silico (computer-based) methods are used to support in vitro and in vivo (experimental) research at the preclinical stage of designing NP-based drug carriers. However, the use of classical in silico methods is often limited by the need to use large computational resources and the time required. The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” has brought new digital solutions for drug discovery based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Unfortunately, the use of AI/ML in nanomedicine is still rare.
"To our knowledge, no attempts have been made to develop ML-based predictive models for the design of nanoparticle-based drug carriers. An important question arises: can machine learning be used to overcome the limitations of classical in silico methods"? - adds Dr. Alicja Mikołajczyk.
ChinaNanomedicine 2023 is one of the largest events bringing together leading scientists and experts from academia, clinical and industrial sectors from around the world in the field of medicine.
The theme of this year's conference was "Nanomedicine: Discovering and Explaining". Focus was on nanoscience and nanotechnology in biomedical applications, including cancer immunotherapy, targeted drug delivery, nanomedicine analysis, nanocatalytic medicine, nanozymes, simulations and artificial intelligence in nanomedicine, nanovaccines, pharmaceutical nanoingredients, industrial nanopharmaceuticals, biomedical nanomaterials, 3D printing nanomaterials in biology, tissue engineering, nanomechanics, nanobiology, mobile medical technologies based on nanotechnology, nanoprobes for molecular imaging, nanotheranostics, nanosensors and microfluidic technologies, chemistry, nanotoxicology and safety of nanomaterials, and nanotechnology in bioseparation and bioanalysis, evaluation of nanomedicines and medical devices.