Michael Gomes, a PhD candidate at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), has been awarded the 2026 South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Institutional Clinician Researcher Development Programme scholarship to advance his research into new nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of brain cancer.
Because glioblastoma cells spread rapidly through surrounding brain tissue, the cancer is difficult to remove completely through surgery, and recurrence is common.
Gomes said the scholarship will enable him to focus on developing advanced nanoscale drug carriers designed to deliver chemotherapy more effectively to brain tumours.
Glioblastoma is a fast-growing and highly invasive cancer that arises from glial cells in the brain. Even with the current standard of care – surgical removal of as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide – outcomes remain poor.
Most patients survive only 12 to 18 months after diagnosis.
In South Africa and across Africa, survival is often lower because of delayed diagnosis, limited access to specialist neurosurgical services, and the high cost of advanced treatments.
Beyond the brain-blood barrier
“One of the biggest challenges is simply getting the drug to where it needs to be,” said Gomes. “The brain is protected by the blood–brain barrier, which blocks many chemotherapy agents from reaching the tumour at effective concentrations.”
Gomes’ research compares three nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems: liposomes, polymer-based particles, and polydopamine nanoparticles, to determine which most effectively delivers chemotherapy to brain tumours.
These microscopic carriers are designed to encapsulate cancer drugs and transport them directly to tumour sites, improving drug concentration at the cancer while reducing harmful side effects elsewhere in the body.
Liposomes, which are tiny spherical particles made from lipid membranes, are already widely used in drug delivery for several diseases. Polymer-based nanoparticles, often made from biodegradable materials such as PLGA, can be engineered to release drugs gradually or in response to specific biological conditions.
Gomes’ research focuses particularly on polydopamine nanoparticles, a less-explored system for brain cancer therapy.
Polydopamine and the glymphatic system
Polydopamine is a synthetic material inspired by dopamine, a molecule naturally present in the brain. Because of its chemical properties and compatibility with biological systems, it may offer a promising platform for targeted drug delivery in neurological diseases.
“Polydopamine hasn’t been widely tested as a carrier for brain cancer drugs,” said Gomes. “Since it is derived from a molecule the brain already recognises, we’re investigating whether it can provide a safer, more effective way to deliver chemotherapy.”
Another innovative aspect of the research is the use of the glymphatic system, a recently discovered network that circulates cerebrospinal fluid through the brain to remove waste and distribute molecules.
Instead of relying on drugs to travel through the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier, Gomes is studying whether nanoparticles injected into the cerebrospinal fluid can use the glymphatic pathway to reach tumours more directly.
This approach could potentially increase drug concentrations at the tumour site while reducing toxic effects in the rest of the body.
SAMRC Clinician Researcher Development Programme Scholarship
The competitive national award supports clinicians who are undertaking PhD training alongside medical studies, helping build a new generation of clinician-scientists capable of translating laboratory discoveries into improved patient care.
Simultaneously training as a medical student, Gomes entered an intercalated PhD programme at Wits University that allows clinicians to pursue research training alongside their medical careers.
He hopes to specialise in neurosurgery in the future, combining clinical practice with research into new treatments for brain tumours. His work is supervised by Dr Divesha Essa, Dr Nnamdi Ikemefuna Okafor, Professor Dinesh Naidoo, and Professor Yahya Choonara at WADDP.
Essa said clinician-scientists play a crucial role in connecting laboratory innovation with real patient needs.
“The early years of a medical degree are largely theoretical, but clinical training exposes students to the complexity of real patients,” she said. “When clinicians enter the research space, they bring that experience with them. They understand the practical challenges of treatment and help design solutions that make sense in real-world settings.”
She added that Gomes’ project forms part of a much larger effort to improve brain cancer treatment.
“This research is one piece of a bigger puzzle. We work closely with neurosurgeons to understand tumour tissue, build realistic laboratory models, and then test new drug delivery systems in ways that reflect what actually happens in patients. At WADDP, the goal is always to bridge the gap between the clinic and the laboratory, with patients at the centre of everything we do.”
Dr Nnamdi Ikemefuna Okafor, a postdoctoral fellow at WADDP and co-supervisor of Gomes’s PhD research, said the project reflects an immediate clinical need and a broader challenge in therapeutic development.
“In this project, we are investigating which nanoparticle platform performs best in glioblastoma models. We are also asking a more fundamental question about why so many promising drugs fail. Often, therapeutic candidates fail at an early stage not because the molecule lacks activity, but because it cannot reach the targeted site of action in a stable, soluble state or at sufficient concentrations.”
He said drug delivery systems such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles and polydopamine-based systems are being explored to enhance the efficacy and clinical translation of conventional therapies.
Advancing research and clinical practice
Choonara, Director of WADDP, said Gomes’s award reflects the importance of investing in postgraduate and early-career researchers. “Programmes like this create the space for talented students to pursue advanced research while remaining connected to clinical practice. That combination is essential if we are to develop innovative therapies that are relevant to our patients and health systems.”
Wits article – Emerging scientist to explore new nanoparticle therapy for brain cancer (Open access)
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