Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer in adults. With limited treatment options, only five per cent of people live five-years beyond diagnosis.
Gene therapy - where genes are used to treat, prevent or cure a disease - has emerged as a promising way to treat glioblastoma. However, there are challenges to delivering genes to the tumour site effectively.
Recognising an area with great need for research, biomedical scientist Dr Wang decided to apply his work in nanomedicine to improving the success of gene therapy for glioblastoma.
“Cancer treatment is an extremely complex process. I have always believed that nanomedicine can provide optimised treatment options for existing drug therapies, however, there is still a great deal of meaningful work to explore in this field,” Dr Wang said.
“My research aims to address key challenges in glioblastoma treatment by developing advanced nanomedicine strategies to improve precision, effectiveness and safety - ultimately, offering a new hope to patients and their families.”
Dr Wang received a 2022 Early Career Fellowship from the Cancer Institute NSW to support his research to enhance glioblastoma treatment and help take cancer nanomedicine from the laboratory to the patient.
What is nanomedicine?
Nanomedicine is the medical use of nano-sized materials (one nanometre is 1/1000th the width of a human hair) to find new ways to diagnose and treat many diseases like cancer.
When it comes to gene therapy, working at the nanoscale offers the potential to target cancer cells - avoiding damage to healthy cells and minimising side effects.
A major focus of Dr Wang’s research is developing nanoparticles to act as delivery vehicles that can take drugs and genes directly to the brain cancer cells.
“Nanosized particles protect genetic materials from degradation, minimise off-target distribution and enable precise delivery to tumour cells,” Dr Wang said.
“The presence of the blood-brain barrier prevents many small molecules and almost all large molecule drugs from effectively reaching the tumour site in the brain. Additionally, the off-target behaviour of most drugs can burden normal organs and tissues.
“Our approach is to design nanocarriers that can cross the blood-brain barrier and selectively target tumour cells, while minimising damage to healthy brain issue. This could lead to improved treatment efficacy, reduced side effects and prolong survival for people with glioblastoma.”
Advancing nanomedicine on the translational pathway
Dr Wang and his team are developing an artificial viral nanovector to accelerate the clinical translation of this work.
An artificial viral nanovector is a delivery system that carries drugs, genes and other therapeutic agents to specific cells and tissues in the body. Artificial viral nanovectors mimic the “core-shell” structure of viruses to deliver gene products, they are also safe for the body and biodegradable.
“To date, I have developed an siRNA delivery system using a simple mix of clinically approved materials, capable of efficiently delivering gene materials to cancer cells. It has successfully achieved targeted delivery to glioblastoma sites in laboratory tests and therapeutic efficacy studies are in progress,” Dr Wang said.
“By addressing key delivery challenges, our approach aims to improve gene therapy efficacy, introduce new treatment strategies for glioblastoma, and support the advancement of nanomedicine research and innovation in NSW.”
A milestone in Dr Wang’s research is the development of a 3D tumour model in the laboratory. The model mimics tumour features and is being used to study and test potential treatment options for glioblastoma.
“Our model allows for high-throughput screening of treatments in physiologically relevant conditions, accelerating the translation of promising candidates into clinical use. It shows strong potential for commercialisation,” Dr Wang said.
“Notably, we have also established a first-of-its-kind imaging tool that tracks the transport of single nanoparticles within specimens in real time. This provides valuable insights into drug delivery mechanisms and helps optimise the design of treatments.”
Placing NSW at the forefront of nanomedicine
Development of novel diagnostics and treatments through Dr Wang’s work have the potential to be used by other researchers and industry partners – ultimately improving outcomes across a range of diseases, not just glioblastoma.
In the long-term, he said this research supports the growth of a competitive nanomedicine ecosystem in NSW.
“My research contributes to positioning NSW at the forefront of innovation in nanomedicine by advancing both the scientific understanding and practical application of nanoscale drug delivery technologies.
“Through the development of next-generation nanoparticle platforms capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, delivering genetic therapies, and enabling real-time imaging, this work addresses major translational challenges in the field.”
Fellowship key to building research capacity
Funding from the Cancer Institute NSW grant, worth $542,885, has been instrumental to advancing Dr Wang’s project and professional development– enabling him to pursue high-impact innovative research at the intersection of nanomedicine and neuro-oncology.
“With the support of the Fellowship, I have been able to establish independent research directions, invest in key experimental tools and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across institutions. This has significantly accelerated the pace and scope of my work, allowing me to generate preliminary data, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and contribute meaningfully to the field,” Dr Wang said.
“Beyond research, the Fellowship has strengthened my academic profile by providing opportunities to co-supervise students, present at international conferences, and lead collaborative projects. It has also helped me build a strong track record that positions me competitively for future grant applications and leadership roles.
“Overall, the Fellowship is laying the foundation for a sustainable research program that contributes to both scientific progress and improved patient outcomes.”
Dr Guoying Wang is a biomedical scientist at Macquarie University Medical School. Find out more about his work and some of the next generation of brain cancer researchers supported by the Cancer Institute NSW.