NANOTHERANOSTICS
INITIATION DATE:
1.1.12
ARC DIRECTORS AND CO-DIRECTORS
Mark Grinstaff, PhD Professor Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, BU-CRC (mgrin@bu.edu)
Joyce Y. Wong, PhD Associate Professor Biomedical Engineering, BU-CRC (jywong@bu.edu)
Karl J. Karlson, MD, MMSc Chief, Cardiac Surgery Cardiac Surgery, Surgery, BUSM (kkarlson@bu.edu)
Victoria L.M. Herrera, MD Professor Cardiology, Medicine, BUSM (vherrera@bu.edu)
OVERVIEW OF GOALS AND MISSION:
Rationale:
Establishing a Nanotheranostics ARC is important because nanotheranostics, defined as the integrated combination of target-specific diagnostics and delivery of therapeutics based on nanotechnology platforms, could provide a potential high-impact nanomedicine paradigm for addressing current treatment roadblocks and persistent clinical needs, which are not successfully addressed with current approved technologies. The ARC-program provides the optimal avenue to develop nanotheranostics research since nanotheranostics requires a multidisciplinary approach.
Briefly, the design of the nano-theranostic platform requires an understanding of the following at the outset: the nanotechnology potential, the accessible molecular target(s) and high-value therapeutics in the context of disease progression complexities, the clinically pertinent targeted-imaging, the clinically feasible targeted-delivery, and the needed preclinical model for testing in vivo efficacy and safety. While daunting, thechallenges are exciting. As members of the Nanotheranostics ARC, we seek the opportunity to meet the challenges of nanomedicine. Importantly, we have prototype nanotechnology platforms (expansile nanoparticles (NPs), nanowire-mesh, nanogels [M. Grinstaff], nanoemulsion formulations [JB Tagne, T. Porter], Janus-NP/microbubble polyplexes [J.Wong, V.Herrera, N.Ruiz-Opazo] – all of which have shown in vitro and vivo efficacy delivering drugs and DNA (respectively), and proof of concept imaging formats.
In summary, our proposed ARC benefits from, and complies with the interdisciplinary mission of the Evans Center – involving clinicians, biomedical researchers and engineers, and involving co-directors who each represent a different discipline. The ARC initiative got us brainstorming together and we have more ideas than time and budget would permit. Appreciative of the opportunities created and that we are uniquely poised, we are committed to developing nanotheranostics research at BU.
ARC MEMBERS:
Nanosciences and Nanotechnology
Name Title Department
1. Mark Grinstaff, PhD Professor Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, BU-CRC
2. Joyce Y. Wong, PhD Associate Professor Biomedical Engineering, BU-CRC
3. Tyrone M. Porter, PhD Assistant Professor,
Associate Director of CNN
Mechanical Engineering, BU-CRC
4. Jean-Bosco Tagne, PhD Assistant Professor Pulmonary Medicine, Medicine, BUSM
Basic Sciences / Translational Research
Name Title Section, Department
5 William Cruikshank, PhD Professor Section of Pulmonary Medicine, Medicine
6 Victoria Herrera, MD Professor Section of Cardiology, Medicine
7. Paola Masseri, PhD Assistant Professor Section of Infectious Diseases, Medicine
8. Katya Ravid, PhD Professor, Director Evans Center for IBR
Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Medicine, Biochemistry, Evans Center for IBR
9. Nelson Ruiz-Opazo, PhD Professor Section of Cardiology, Medicine, BUSM
10. Vassilis Zannis, PhD Professor Whitaker CVI, Medicine, BUSM
Clinical Sciences: Surgery and Medicine
Name Title Section, Department
11. Alik Farber, MD Associate Professor, Chief Vascular Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Surgery, BUSM
12. Karl J. Karlson, MD, MMSc Chief, Cardiac Surgery Cardiothoracic Surgery, Surgery, BUSM
13. Elizabeth Klings, MD Assistant Professor Section of Pulmonary Medicine, Department
of Medicine, BUSM
14. Alex Norbash, MD Professor, Chairman Radiology, BUSM
15. Jennifer Rosen, MD Assistant Professor Surgical Oncology, Surgery, BUSM
Imaging: clinical and translational research
1. Alex Norbash, MD
2. Victoria Herrera, MD
