CALIPSO: the rise of smart liposomes in cancer treatment
Résumé
Our team iGEM Toulouse tackles the challenge of side effects in cancer treatment with CALIPSO, an intelligent therapeutic liposome. It senses cancer biomarkers, produces the anticancer drug in situ, and delivers it right on the tumor site. By combining in silico protein design, genetic biosensors, cell-free protein synthesis, and biochemical network modeling, we devised an integrated liposomal platform with cell-like functionalities to specifically kill cancer cells. We engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, well beyond scientists, such as supportive care professionals, cancer-fighting associations and patients, ensuring CALIPSO s real-world impact. Moreover, we developed a business strategy to transition our innovative technology into a robust therapeutic startup. We believe CALIPSO has the potential to push the boundaries of chemotherapy by combining the strength of therapeutic liposomes and bottom-up synthetic biology. Using genetically engineered liposomes as a chassis enables a wide array of new applications, which will inspire future iGEM projects.