NANOPILS: Nanoporous biomimetic vector to maximise the therapeutic efficacy of proteasome inhibitors

The problem:

MULTIPLE MYELOMA (MM, blood cancer): in Italy average 9.8 out of 100.000 men new cases per year; 7.6 out of 100.000 women new cases per year Age of patients > 65 years

Costs for MM cure are HIGH and GROWING. Use of drugs is GROWING

State of the art: Monotherapy or combination therapy with PROTEASOME INHIBITORS (PI): Bortezomib, Carfilzomib, Ixazomib and immunomodulants (IMiDs): Lenalidomide+bortezomib

BUT: Frequent recurrence, disease progression, DEVELOPMENT of drug RESISTANCE, absence of application against other neoplasms

Advantages of Nanopils:

  • the NP vehicles 2 drugs which operate in synergy, maximising their therapeutical efficacy
  • it overcomes the current PI limitations, reducing off-target and side effects;
  • drug administration is nanovehicled, with selective targeting towards the cancer cells
  • high biocopatibility and biodistribution, reducing the amount of administered drugs


Mesoporous silica nanoparticle (SM) + drug molecules + double lipidic layer coating (DLS) with PEGylated lipids (PEG) and conjugated to monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for targeting

This project has received funding from the LiFTT – LINKS POC INSTRUMENT 2019