Northwestern Events Calendar

Jan
29
2015

ChBE Seminar: Nanotherapeutics for Neurological Disorders

recurring see all events in this series

When: Thursday, January 29, 2015
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CT

Where: Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, ITW Room, 2133 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students

Contact: Iman Nasser   (847) 491-2773

Group: McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

Category: Academic

Description:

Dr. Elizabeth Nance from Johns Hopkins University will present a seminar on Nanotherapeutics for Neurological Disorders.

Abstract:
Compared to conventional drug delivery platforms, nanoparticles can safely provide well-dispersed, sustained-release therapeutics that are directly targeted to diseased regions of the central nervous system (CNS), as well as to specific cell types within those regions.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with chronic disabilities, have no effective cure, and are often underserved by novel drug delivery technologies, which primarily focus on adults. Therefore, there is great potential to bring nanotherapeutic approaches to neurodevelopmental disorders, with results that can also be translated to adult brain disorders. Neuroinflammation, mediated by activated microglia and astrocytes, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of many neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, including Alzheimer’s, autism, cerebral palsy (CP), stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent literature suggests that attenuating neuroinflammation in the early stages can not only delay the onset, but may also provide a longer therapeutic window for treatment. Targeting activated microglia/astrocytes may offer such an opportunity. However, this is a challenge on multiple levels:

• Transport of drugs and drug delivery vehicles across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) is difficult to achieve.
• Injury is often diffuse, making it difficult for therapeutics to reach target cells, even if administered locally.
• Cerebral edema, BBB disruption, and changes to the extracellular matrix and glial cell function after injury may effect the movement, interactions, and cellular uptake of nanoparticles. This is not well understood, especially in the developing brain.

My research goals focus on understanding nanoparticle interactions, as both biophysical probes and imaging biomarkers, within disease physiology and pathology, with a focus on neurodevelopmental diseases. Rather than the traditional approach of using drugs to manipulate individual disease pathways, this research employs a method whereby nanoparticles are used to probe the disease environment first. This allows the disease to subsequently dictate the optimal therapeutic approach, an approach I’ve termed “Disease-directed engineering.” This knowledge will then be used to better design and implement therapeutic nanoparticle platforms in clinically relevant models of pediatric and adult neurological disorders.

Date & Time: Thursday, January 29th, 9:00 am -10:00 am
Location: Pancoe, Abbott Auditorium (2200 Campus Drive. Evanston, IL 60208)

*Refreshments will be available at 8:45 am)

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