One of the projects from Wroclaw Medical University (WMU) that received funding in the 6th edition of the programme “Student Research Groups Create Innovations” will focus on developing new, safer solutions to support lung cancer treatment. The grant awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education amounts to PLN 70,000, and the project will run for up to 12 months.

The project entitled “Development of a Nanocarrier for Cannabidiol (CBD) and Its Evaluation in Laboratory Studies in a Lung Cancer Model” will be carried out by the Student Research Group of Flow Cytometry and Biomedical Research in cooperation with Dr Maciej Nowak from the Department of Drug Form Technology. The project is supervised by Dr hab. Helena Moreira, Professor at WMU, from the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. It expands on research funded last year: The Potential of Biocompatible Halloysite Nanotubes with CBD in Lung Adenocarcinoma. In Vitro Studies in 2D and 3D Models.

Lung adenocarcinoma is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Importantly, it also occurs in individuals who have never smoked. Despite advances in modern therapies, treatment remains costly, not always sufficiently effective, and often associated with significant side effects.

The WMU student team aims to investigate whether cannabidiol (CBD) may act more effectively against cancer cells when “packaged” within a nanoscale carrier. The proposed carrier consists of tiny, porous silica particles that function like microscopic sponges, transporting the active substance and enabling more controlled delivery.

Why focus on cannabidiol?

CBD has promising anticancer properties,” explains WMU doctoral researcher Dorota Bęben, former president of the Student Research Group of Flow Cytometry and Biomedical Research. “In laboratory studies, it can inhibit cancer cell growth, induce cell death, and reduce migration — effects we have already demonstrated in previous projects. It also has a favorable safety profile, but its effectiveness is limited by poor solubility and bioavailability. Encapsulation in a nanocarrier may overcome these limitations.

In this approach, CBD is enclosed within porous silica nanoparticles that protect the compound, improve its solubility, and allow controlled release. This may enhance its therapeutic effect and precision, potentially at lower doses.

The research team will first develop the “CBD + nanocarrier” complex and assess its stability and physicochemical properties. Subsequently, in vitro studies will be conducted on lung cancer cell cultures to evaluate the impact of the complex on cancer cell survival and determine the strength of its effect. The researchers will also investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying the observed responses.

We will compare the effects of free CBD and CBD delivered via the nanocarrier, assessing both efficacy and safety,” adds Dorota Bęben. “We will also evaluate its safety profile in normal lung cells. A breakthrough would be stronger anticancer activity at lower concentrations without toxicity of the carrier itself.

Promising preliminary findings may, in the future, contribute to the development of more precise and less burdensome therapies, as well as to advances in modern drug delivery systems for patients with lung cancer.