In this project, the interest is in understanding how active ingredients (whether a drug or a nutraceutical molecule) can be loaded in a gel-like capsule or in some similar platform (like a bead or a tablet), in a controlled manner. 

The objective is to achieve controlled release of the active molecule from the capsule and from other substrates of interest, so as to maximize their concentration in the body.

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment. A major challenge in the development of effective therapeutics is the lack of preclinical models that accurately recapitulate the complex tumour microenvironment. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems fail to reproduce the three-dimensional architecture, extracellular matrix interactions, mechanical cues, and dynamic biochemical gradients that influence tumour progression and drug response.