Nanomaterials and Biological Issues

Novel nanomaterials have played a significant role in developing imaging agents, drug delivery systems, biomarkers, etc., for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. As nanocomposite structures are becoming more complex and multifunctional, their physical characterization alonemay not predict their in vivo behavior. The complexity of interactions of nanocomposite structures with biological environment could influence their kinetics of biodistribution, targeting efficacy, as well as biocompatibility. 

Presentations in this session will focus on how different nanostructures interact with cells and tissues in the biological environment. Better understanding of such interactions could provide rational approaches for developing effective nanomaterials for biomedical applications.
 

Cancer Nano Therapeutics

Nanotechnology applications in cancer strive to develop new techniques and delivery systems which bypass biological and biophysical barriers and overcome the challenges of selectively administering therapeutic drugs and contrast agents to reach the desired target tissues with marginal or no collateral damage.

Presentations in this session will focus on development of targeted nanoparticles for cancer therapy applications.
 

Image-Guided Therapy

Image-guided drug therapy can ensure optimal drug delivery to target tissue with simultaneous monitoring of its response.  This capability is particularly important in cancer therapy because of significant variations in tumor vascularity, heterogeneous and diverse expression of cell surface receptors, and genetic make-up of cancer cells, as these factors could significantly influence the efficacy of nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery as well as drug response.  To address these issues, nanostructures with combined drug delivery and imaging properties are being developed for image-guided drug therapy.

Presentations in this session will focus on designing of theragnostic agents and their potential applications.
 

Nanomaterials for Drug and Gene Therapy

The past decade has witnessed significant advances in the field of nanoparticle-mediated drug/gene delivery, including delivery of genetic materials such as siRNA and microRNA.  Many experimental studies have demonstrated better efficacy with nanoparticle-mediated drug therapy than conventional methods of drug administration.  This efficacy is attributed to one or a combination of factors that may include improved drug stability, better delivery of drugs directly to target cells and tissues, improved drug bioavailability, or reduced toxicity due to altered pharmacokinetics of drug distribution.  

Presentations in this session will focus on applications of nanoparticles for drug and gene delivery in various disease conditions.
 

Biosensors and Diagnostic Markers

Early detection of pathologies remains the key to the success of therapeutic or surgical intervention.  Nanomaterials are being explored to develop biomarkers and sensors that can accurately detect changes in the body at the cellular, molecular or genetic level that may lead to progression of disease.  Carbon nanotubes is one example of nanomaterials that have been used in developing biosensors.  Similarly, gold nanoparticles are used to develop sensitive bioassays. 

Presentations in this session will focus on development of nanodevices for diagnostic applications.
 

Nanomedicine of Circulating Tumor Cells

The session will be devoted to detection and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a biomarker of metastatic cancer disease.  Just a research hypothesis 10 years ago, CTC detection in blood became an FDA-approved “liquid biopsy” assay for monitoring and prognosis of treatment of metastatic breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.  The rapid advancement from the bench to bedside was made possible by the unique magnetic properties of nanoscale bio-ferrofluids and vigorous collaboration between commercial and clinical partners.  The field is rapidly expanding, and new applications are being sought to other metastatic diseases.

The presentations will address key questions important for further translational work, including CTC characterization, CTC threshold counts, and new technology development.
 

Regulatory Issues and Commercialization

The field of nanomedicine is relatively new, and thus better understanding of nanomaterial characterization and biological evaluation for approval by regulatory agencies and successful transition to clinical practice remains a challenge.  Several small and start-up companies have made significant headway in this direction.

 Presentations in this session will focus on how to successfully develop nanomedicine.