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Designing and Synthesizing Multifunctional Nanoparticles for the Intracellular Delivery of Soluble Cues Into Cancer and Stem Cells

One of the most important goals of molecular cell biology is to dissect the spatial-temporal interactions of biomolecules (or soluble cues) from the cellular to the integrated systems level. To investigate the complex interactions of soluble cues with cancer/stem cells and to study their specific effects on cancer/stem cell behaviors, we have developed multifunctional nanomaterial-based drug/gene delivery, molecular imaging techniques, and combined cancer/stem cell therapies. Potentially, nanoparticles, such as quantum dots, noble metallic nanoparticles, and magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), can circumvent or complement some of the limitations of conventional drug delivery and molecular imaging methods due to the unique physico-chemical properties of these nanoparticles. In our projects, we have addressed these issues by developing synthesis and labeling methods for different multifunctional nanoparticles.

 

A1 500x202
Quantum dots as a multifunctional nanoplatform to deliver siRNA and to knockdown the key oncogene EGFRvIII in brain cancer cells. Angew. Chem. Int.
Ed.
, 2010
B1 500x202
Cooperative induction of brain tumor cell apoptosis by targeted co-delivery of siRNA and anti-cancer drugs using cyclodextrin-containing polyamines. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2011
C1
Magnetic nanoparticles for combined siRNA and hyperthermia-based therapy in brain tumor cells. The MNPs can also be used as multimodal imaging probes (MRI and Raman imaging) both in vitro and in vivo. Small, 2011
D
Synthesis of a library of biocompatible ZnxS-AgyIn1-yS2 quantum dots (ZAIS QDs) for cellular imaging and siRNA delivery. Advanced Materials, 2012

 

Key Publications from our group:

  1. Subramaniam, P.; Lee, S.; Shah, S.; Park, J. K.; Lee, K.-B., “Generation of a library of non-toxic quantum dots for cellular imaging and siRNA delivery”, Advanced Materials, 2012, DOI: 10.1002/adma.201201019
  2. Kim, C.; Shah, B. P.; Subramaniam, P.; Lee, K.-B., “Synergistic induction of brain tumor cell apoptosis by targeted co-delivery of siRNA and anticancer drugs”, Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2011, 8, 1955-1961.
  3. Park, J. K.; Jung, J.; Subramaniam, P.; Shah, B.; Kim, C.; Lee, J. K.; Cho, C.; Lee, K.-B., “Graphite-Coated magnetic nanoparticles as multimodal imaging probes and cooperative therapeutic agents for tumor cells”, Small, 2011, 7, 1647-1652.
  4. Jung, J.; Solanki, A.; Memoli, K. A.; Kamei, K.-I.; Kim, H. ; Drahl, M. A.; Williams, L. J.; Tseng, H.-R.; Lee, K.-B., “Selective inhibition of human brain tumor cell proliferation via multifunctional quantum dot-based siRNA delivery”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 103–107.