This project is funded by the Deutsche Krebshilfe e.V. and works as cooperation between the Saarland University, Institute of Biopharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, the Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart and the Department for Thoraxchirurgie, Klinik Schillerhöhe, Gerlingen.

The enzyme telomerase plays a key role in the immortalisation of cancer cells and is therefore a target of cancer therapy. Within a previous common project (Deutsche Krebshilfe 10-2035 K1 I) several different telomerase inhibitors, including flavonoides, BRACO19, anitsense oligoRNA and siRNA, have been tested for their activity in short and long-term studies. Uptake has been identified as the rate limiting step within these experiments. The aim of this following-up project is the development of a formulation for the most effective telomerase inhibitor. This new formulation, based on a polymeric nanoscaled carrier system, should enhance the uptake and should be applied as aerosol to permit a local treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer with minimized adverse systemic effects.