From Polymer Network Structure to In Vivo Applications: Utilizing Novel Hydrogel Carriers for Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs in Cervical Cancer Therapeutics

Hydrogels for the Targeted Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Assoc. Prof. Monika Gosecka, PAS Professor from the Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Łódź, is leading a project where a team of chemists and biologists will investigate the potential of using innovative hydrogel carriers for poorly water-soluble drugs in the localized treatment of cervical cancer. These systems have already been tested—with positive results - in in vitro experiments on cancer cell lines. Currently, as part of the Proof of Concept project funded by the European Funds for a Modern Economy 2021 - 2027 (FENG) through the Foundation for Polish Science, they will be evaluated in vivo in mice models.

Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor that develops from the epithelium covering the cervix, with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as its primary cause. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among women - ranking as the second most common malignant cancer of the female reproductive system in Poland. Although the incidence rate is gradually decreasing, it remains high: data from pacjent.gov.pl indicates approximately 2,500 new cases are diagnosed every year in Poland, peaking among women aged 50–60.

Worldwide, there is an ongoing search for effective cervical cancer treatments, ideally those that can be applied locally without subjecting the entire body to systemic therapy. This requires targeted drug delivery directly to cancer cells. Previous studies led by Prof. Monika Gosecka indicate that specially formulated hydrogels can act as selective carriers for these therapies.

A hydrogel is a network in which the dispersed phase is water, while the structuring framework consists of various natural, modified, or synthetic polymers linked into a three-dimensional network (a everyday example being gelatin jelly).

"In our previous work, we examined numerous hydrogel-drug systems and selected those providing the best solubility for water-insoluble drugs. We then tested the most effective polymer systems on model cervical cancer cell lines. These tests showed that our systems are neutral toward healthy cells while displaying selectivity against cervical cancer cells and strong antitumor efficacy. Now, in the Proof of Concept project, we plan to confirm that hydrogel-drug systems working at the in vitro level will also function in vivo in mice. Animal model testing brings us a step closer to clinical trials on human patients. If successful, it will mark a major advancement toward bringing a commercial product to market," reports Prof. Monika Gosecka, coordinator of the Department of Functional Polymers and Polymeric Materials at CMMS PAS in Łódź.

Conducting these preclinical mouse trials requires close interdisciplinary collaboration between chemists and biologists. Prof. Gosecka's chemistry team will work alongside a biology team led by Prof. Barbara Klajnert-Maculewicz from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Łódź.

"In the future, we plan to establish a spin-off company tasked with securing funding for clinical trials to evaluate our systems on patients. Once all clinical trial procedures are complete, the company will be responsible for bringing the final product to market," adds Prof. Monika Gosecka.

Assoc. Prof. Monika Gosecka is a graduate of the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry at the University of Łódź. She earned her Ph.D. with honors in 2013 from the Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Łódź, followed by a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Paris at the École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles. Upon returning, she joined the Department of Polymer Materials Engineering, where she headed a three-year SONATA grant.

Since 2018, Assoc. Prof. Monika Gosecka has been the head of the Cross-linked Materials Team established under a restructuring initiative at CMMS PAS. In 2019, she was awarded the SONATA BIS grant from the National Science Centre (NCN) and received a Scholarship for Outstanding Young Scientists from the Minister of Science and Higher Education. In 2023, she received funding under the NCN OPUS program. Her research focuses on reversibly cross-linked polymer systems with thermoresponsive and chemoresponsive properties for biomedical applications.