When   Thursday, October 22, 2009   Time   4:00 PM - 5:00 PM  
Where   Technological Instit M345 2145 Sheridan Rd.   map it
Audience   - Faculty/Staff - Student - Public
Contact   Virginia Lorenzo   847-467-1213  
Group   McCormick - Biomedical Engineering Department
More Info   http://www.bme.northwestern.edu

Dean Ho, PhD
Biomedical Engineering Department, Northwestern University

Nanodiamond-Mediated Enhancement of Therapeutic Efficacy Towards Chemoresistant Tumors

Nanodiamonds (NDs) possess multiple properties that enable their application as versatile drug delivery vehicles. For example, they can be functionalized with a broad array of therapeutics which includes small molecules, proteins, antibodies, and RNA/DNA for applications in cancer treatment, cardiovascular medicine, wound healing, and beyond. In addition, NDs possess uniform dimensions (~4nm in diameter per particle) and material stability that are coupled with observed biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, NDs can be batch purified and functionalized for scalable and high yield processing. Among other functional groups, NDs also possess an abundance of surface-bound carboxyl groups which are conducive towards facile, application-dependent molecular linking/conjugation onto the diamond surface. Furthermore, NDs can be functionalized with additional chemical species to enable direct drug conjugation. Our previous studies have confirmed robust drug binding to NDs through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled with in vitro tracking of cellular internalization and quantitative demonstration of bio-amenable cell response through quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays of inflammatory and apoptosis-regulating gene expression programs. Furthermore ND-mediated drug release against HT-29 and Raw 264.7 cell lines has also been observed. Towards the broadening of ND applicability in clinically-significant treatment scenarios, recent work pertaining to simultaneous high-efficacy/high biocompatibility gene delivery, ND-based microfilm device formation for localized chemotherapy, pH-dependent therapeutic protein release, and pre-clinical trials will be discussed.

Biography
Dr. Dean Ho is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, and member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
Dr. Ho investigates the scalable fabrication of nanomaterial-based devices for applications in chemotherapy and anti-inflammation. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal and proceedings publications in the areas of nanomedicine and drug delivery, and has delivered over 50 national and international invited talks. Dr. Ho is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Early Career Award in Translational Research, and V Foundation for Cancer Research V Scholar Award.
Dr. Ho's research has garnered news coverage on CNN and Reuters, among other outlets, and was featured in the National Geographic Channel program 'Known Universe'.  He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation, and an associate editor of the Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology.