Development of Nano-formulation and New Chemical Entities of Anti-Cancer Active Gold Compounds
Grant Data
Project Title
Development of Nano-formulation and New Chemical Entities of Anti-Cancer Active Gold Compounds
Principal Investigator
Professor Che, Chi Ming
(Project Coordinator (PC))
Co-Investigator(s)
Dr Fung Eva Yi Man
(Co-Investigator)
Dr Xu Zhenjiang
(Co-Investigator)
Dr Lam Jenny Ka Wing
(Co-Investigator)
Dr Ng Kwan Ming
(Co-Investigator)
Dr Lok Chun Nam
(Co-Investigator)
Duration
24
Start Date
2015-04-01
Amount
4291800
Conference Title
Development of Nano-formulation and New Chemical Entities of Anti-Cancer Active Gold Compounds
Presentation Title
Keywords
Anti-Cancer Active Gold Compounds, Nano-formulation and New Chemical Entities
Discipline
Others - Physical Sciences
Panel
Physical Sciences (P)
HKU Project Code
ITS/130/14FP
Grant Type
Innovation and Technology Support Programme (Tier 2)
Funding Year
2014
Status
Completed
Objectives
Built upon the results of the ITSP Tier 2 project ""Discovery and Pre-clinical Evaluation of Promising Metal-Based Anti-Cancer Drug Leads"", four gold and one platinum compounds, all of which exhibit effective in vivo anti-tumor activity in rodents and satisfactory safety profiles according to a China Food and Drug Administration-approved laboratory, have been identified for further development. All these compounds are patent protected or pending. They have shown promising potential as chemotherapeutics for the treatment of drug-resistant cancers; national/international pharmaceutical companies have also shown interest in getting some of the patent(s) from HKU. Our aim is to design effective anti-cancer agents with pharmacological efficacy and safety profiles that graduate into clinical trials. Innovative encapsulation nanotechnology and molecular self-assembly delivery systems will be investigated. Pharmacokinetics studies in animals will be accomplished via ultra-performance mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we will utilize novel chemical modifications to improve tumor targeting and to help imaging and identification of molecular targets. Our project will advance the development of already identified anti-cancer gold and platinum compounds toward therapeutic applications in the treatment of drug-resistant cancers, bolstering Hong Kong’s reputation as a world center of innovation in the forefront of anti-cancer metal therapy and gold medicines.