AACR 2026 - San Diego

Excited to share that Muhammad Rafiq recently presented our work at AACR in San Diego on radiation-activated photodynamic therapy (radio-PDT) for glioblastoma.

Our study focuses on temozolomide co-encapsulated radio-PDT nanoparticles designed to overcome the limitations of conventional PDT in treating deep-seated brain tumors. We synthesized and characterized PEG-PLGA–based nanocomposites loaded with a nanoscintillator, PPIX, and temozolomide, and evaluated their therapeutic efficacy in U251 glioblastoma cells.

The results showed strong tumor cytotoxicity, with downregulation of AKT, PERK, and BCL2, and increased cleaved caspase-3 expression, indicating enhanced apoptotic activity under low-dose irradiation.

These findings highlight the potential of TMZ co-encapsulated radio-PDT as a promising strategy for treating radio-resistant glioblastoma and other deep-seated tumors.

Grateful for the opportunity to present this work and excited about the future of this research direction.

To read more about his work : https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/6382/778263

Poster Presentation in AACR 2026