Clara Viñas, a world reference in boron cluster chemistry, was the guest at another seminar organised by the C2TN Academy at the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, where she presented an innovative approach that could mark a turning point in personalised medicine.
On 28th May, the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear in Loures hosted a seminar organised by the C2TN Academy – Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares – focusing on the thematic areas of ‘Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Health Physics’ and ‘Advanced Materials’. The session was attended by Spanish researcher Clara Viñas, a professor at the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), whose decades-long research into the chemistry of boron clusters has been paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.
The opening session was led by Fernanda Marques, a C2TN researcher, who highlighted Clara Viñas’ scientific career and decisive role in researching these molecular compounds in biomedical applications, namely in “Boron Neutron Capture Therapy” (BNCT), an emerging technique that uses neutrons to destroy tumour cells with high precision.
As part of the collaboration between ICMAB-CSIC and C2TN, which goes back about a decade, Clara Viñas presented the latest developments in the application of boron clusters to nanomedicine. The researcher mentioned the potential of these compounds in multimodal therapies for the treatment of various types of cancer, particularly tumours that are difficult to treat, such as glioblastoma and breast cancer.
The presentation, entitled ‘Revolutionising Nanomedicine: Harnessing Amphiphilic Nanomolecules for Multimodal, Carrier-Free Synergies’, focused on new therapeutic strategies that rely on vectors to cross cell membranes, speeding up the effectiveness of treatments and reducing side effects. ‘Our compounds are able to cross cell membranes quickly, without the need for transporters. This paves the way for alternative forms of administration to the traditional injectable route, significantly improving patient comfort,’ explained.
In addition to the medical aspect, boron clusters show promise in other areas, such as the treatment of radioactive wastewater, the development of medical sensors and catalysis in sustainable industrial processes. ‘The potential of these compounds goes far beyond medicine, also encompassing environmental and technological innovation,’ Clara Viñas emphasised.
With more than 400 scientific publications and seven patents under her belt, Clara Viñas also left a message for the new generations of researchers: ‘Maintain your curiosity, passion and persistence. Science is not a sprint, but a marathon. Question, challenge what is taken for granted and choose to work on themes that have a real impact on people’s lives’.
The researcher concluded her speech with an appeal to intensify international scientific collaboration. ‘Sharing knowledge is essential to speed up the transition from laboratory advances to clinical practice. That’s the real impact of science: transforming lives’.