Russian Scientists Present Digital Molecular Models in China
An innovative project by Russian researchers could improve treatment options for a severe form of cancer.
Researchers from the St. Petersburg campus of the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), working alongside Chinese colleagues, are developing a new approach to treating a complex form of cancer. The focus is cholangiocarcinoma, a malignant tumor of the bile duct that is extremely difficult to remove surgically. According to the university’s press service, the team is using digital technologies to refine photodynamic therapy. In this method, patients are given a special drug that, when exposed to light during an endoscopic procedure in the bile duct, breaks down and damages tumor cells.
Predicting How Cells Will Behave
The digital modeling conducted at HSE helps researchers predict how cells will behave, making it possible to deliver the drug precisely to affected tissues.
As Maksim Gureev, a senior researcher at the university’s bio- and cheminformatics teaching laboratory, explains, studying compounds at the molecular level makes it possible to design nanoparticles that can deliver the drug directly to the tumor.
The team discussed interim results with Chinese partners at Jiaxing University. According to project lead Yuri Porozov, digital molecular models help determine the optimal dosage for laboratory experiments. This approach reduces both the time and cost required to develop a next-generation drug.
