The NanoCIM Group has won the award after proposing a new approach to neutron capture therapy based on the selective delivery of lithium. A total of 30 projects reached the final of the Santander X Spain Awards, competing across three categories: University, Startup, and Scaleup. Following presentations before three juries made up of members of the entrepreneurial and investment ecosystems, nine final projects were selected as winners.
Esperanza Medina, a member of the winning research group, expressed her sincere gratitude to the jury for recognizing a project as disruptive as theirs and highlighted the high level of development achieved by all finalists, as well as what they have learned from them. She noted that at NanoCIM, they are a small group but have a strong team, with Gerard coming up with highly disruptive ideas in particle therapies that, while sounding like science fiction, are turned into promising experimental results by brilliant researchers. Medina concluded that these awards are just the first step forward towards future milestones.
Cancer is one of the most relevant diseases worldwide. The application of nanotechnology for the rational design of biomaterials offers alternative solutions to classical treatments, expanding the toolbox for biomedical imaging and therapy. Nanomaterials offer a unique platform to adjust properties such as solubility, diffusivity, and cytotoxicity. Nanoencapsulation of biomedically relevant payloads into porous materials is of special interest for the development of contrast agents and smart therapeutic systems. Most of the group's research activity is focused on nano-oncology, developing nanomaterials for both cancer diagnosis and treatment.
