Research group Advanced bioengineering and therapeutics

Achievements

1. We have developed a patented peptide therapeutic platform to inhibit stromal desmoplasia in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapies. This technology led to the creation of the spin-off company ScarTec Therapeutics.
2. We have developed a patented tail-flipping targeted nanoliposome platform for selective delivery to macrophages in both primary tumors and metastatic lesions. The technology is currently being advanced toward clinical translation.
3. We have pioneered nanomedicine-based strategies to target stromal cell populations, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), enabling reprogramming of the complex tumor microenvironment to improve therapeutic outcomes.
4. We have established advanced patient-relevant 3D bioprinted Mini-Brain models by integrating 3D bioprinting, novel biomaterials, and patient-derived organoids to study brain tumors and evaluate therapeutics targeting the tumor microenvironment.

Publications

See the publication list of the research group leader on Web of Science.

• A selection of our publications

  • Mostafa A , Hemdan A.G. , Assayag F, Prakash J. (2026) FGFR inhibitor AZD4547 disrupts inflammatory CAF crosstalk with cancer cells and macrophages and attenuates metastasis in pancreatic cancer. FASEB J (in press)
  • Mardhian DF, Pednekar KP, Hemdan AG, Kuninty PR, Karim SA, de Winter S, Metselaar JM, Morton JP, Prakash J. (2026) Engineered cyclic peptide targeting ITGA5 disrupts tumor-stroma interaction to overcome desmoplasia and resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, Jan;16(1):305-321.
  • Prakash J and Shaked Y. (2024) The Interplay between Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and Cancer Therapeutics. Cancer Discovery14 (8): 1375–1388.
  • Heinrich MA, Uboldi I, Kuninty PR, Ankone MJK, van Baarlen J, Zhang YS, Jain K, Prakash J. Microarchitectural mimicking of stroma-induced vasculature compression in pancreatic tumors using a 3D engineered model. Bioactive Materials. 2022 Sep 24;22:18-33.
  • Priwitaningrum DL, Pednekar K, Gabriël AV, Varela-Moreira AA, Le Gac S, Vellekoop I, Storm G, Hennink WE, Prakash J. (2023) Evaluation of paclitaxel-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in 3D tumor model: impact of tumor stroma on penetration and efficacy. Drug Delivery and Translational Research 2023 May;13(5):1470-1483. doi: 10.1007/s13346-023-01310-1.
  • Kuninty PR, Binnemars-Postma KA, Jarray A, Pednekar K, Heinrich MA, ten Hoopen H, Storm G, van Hoogevest P, den Otter WK, Prakash J. (2022) Cancer immune therapy using engineered ‛tail-flipping’ nanoliposomes targeting alternatively activated macrophages. Nature Communications. 13, 4548.
  • Mardhian D.F., Vrynas A, Storm G, Bansal R, Prakash J. (2021) FGF2 engineered SPIONs attenuate tumor stroma and potentiate the effect of chemotherapy in pancreatic 3D heterospheroidal models. Nanotheranostics 1;4(1):26-39
  • Rodrigues J, Heinrich MA, Leijten MA, Prakash J. (2021) 3D in vitro model (r)evolution: unveiling the tumor-stroma interactions. Trends in Cancer 17; S2405-8033 (20) 30283-1.
  • Kuninty PR, Bansal R, De Geus G, Mardhian DF, Schnittert J, van Baarlen J, Storm G, Bijlsma M, van Laarhoven H, Metselaar JM, Kuppen PJK, Vahrmeijer A, Ostman A, Sier CFM, Prakash J. (2019) ITGA5 inhibition in pancreatic stellate cells attenuates desmoplasia and potentiates efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.Science Advances Sep 4;5(9):eaax2770. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax2770.
  • Heinrich MA, Bansal R, Lammers T, Zhang YS, Schiffelers RM, Prakash J. (2019) 3D-Bioprinted Mini-Brain: A Glioblastoma Model to Study cellular interactions and therapeutics. Advanced Materials. 31(14):e1806590.