Martina Tuttolomondo

Dual-Gated Peptide–siRNA Therapeutic for Resistant Melanoma Brain Metastases

Applicant

Martina Tuttolomondo

Project drescription

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that often spreads to the brain at advanced stages. When this happens, treatment options are very limited. Although immunotherapy and targeted drugs can be effective at first, many patients relapse, and brain metastases are a common site of treatment failure. Once standard therapies stop working, prognosis is poor.

This project aims to develop a new therapy specifically for melanoma brain metastases that no longer respond to current treatments. We use a small, smart carrier that can transport genetic medicine directly into cancer cells in the brain. The carrier is designed to cross the blood–brain barrier, activate only inside tumors, and switch off genes responsible for drug resistance.

Our approach has already shown promising results in preclinical models. Over two years, we aim to advance this technology toward clinical development, offering new hope to patients with few remaining treatment options.

Institution

University of Southern Denmark