Nanoco Group plc has been awarded a grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to support its ongoing research into the use of quantum dot nanoparticles within cancer imaging.
 
“VIVODOTS nano-devices for detection, resection and management of pancreatic cancers,” the research project that has received the grant, is a continued collaboration between Nanoco and University College London (UCL), the Group’s long time partner in the life sciences sector, and builds on the progress Nanoco’s Life Sciences team has made on in-vivo mapping of sentinel lymph nodes and breast cancer imaging.
 
The total value of the grant over the three-year project is £1.15 million, of which £807,815 is attributable to Nanoco and £345,439 to UCL. Nanoco will receive 60% of its share from Innovate UK in cash over the three-year period.
 
The proposed VIVODOTS nano-device will enable more effective pre, intra and post-operative management of pancreatic cancers, resulting in better surgical treatment, higher cure rates, and better quality of life for survivors.
 
“In this exciting project, we will be working with UCL to develop a groundbreaking cancer imaging therapeutic nano-device that will enable better detection and treatment of lethal types of tumors, particularly pancreatic tumors,” said Dr. Michael Edelman, CEO of Nanoco Group. “The design will be based on the use of biocompatible and fluorescent quantum dot nanoparticles equipped with specific cancer targeting molecules; a major innovation that has already proved successful in our initial trials.”