{"id":43,"date":"2020-05-13T13:14:40","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T10:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/drug-targeting\/?page_id=43"},"modified":"2025-03-07T10:50:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T08:50:13","slug":"projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.uef.fi\/drug-targeting\/projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Main Research Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our research group is developing novel transporter-utilizing (pro)drugs to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Improve the drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB)<\/strong> and selectively into different cell types<\/strong> (neurons, astrocytes or microglia) within brain (intra-brain targeting) via different transporters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Explore if dual targeting of LAT1-utilizing compounds into the brain and simultaneously into the pancreas<\/strong> (brain-pancreas axis) can have beneficial effects on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Target chemotherapeutics <\/strong>(prodrugs or drug analogues) selectively into the cancer cell<\/strong>s and inhibit specific transporter\u2019s<\/strong> function to block nutrient delivery<\/strong> into the cancer cell or drug efflux out of the cancer cells<\/strong> (chemoresistance) to increase antiproliferative effects<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    We are also interested in how to modulate specific transporters’ expression or function<\/strong> to regulate nutrient<\/strong> or toxin uptake<\/strong> e.g., into the brain or across the placenta that can affect the progression of neurological diseases or development of the fetus, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We have recently also started a new research project on how to improve cardiac delivery of endogenous compounds, e.g., in the situations, such the heart failure, in which the transporter expression or function is altered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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