Time：July17, 2014, Thursday, 9:00 am
Location: Small Conference Room of Biology Building
Reporter：ZHENG-RONG LU
M. Frank Rudy and Margaret Domiter Rudy Professor
of Case Western Reserve University, USA
Abstract：
Design and development of new diagnostics and therapeutics are essential to treat the human diseases that are currently lack of effective treatment. Biomolecular engineering bridges the gap between basic research and clinical needs. Our lab is focused on translational development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for early detection and treatment of the diseases that impair and threaten human lives. We have designed and developed polydisulfide-based biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents for evaluating tumor angiogenesis and targeted Gd(III) based MRI contrast agents for detecting a cancer-related biomarker expressed in the extracellular matrix of malignant tumors. The biodegradable macromolecular contrast agents are effective for characterizing tumor angiogenesis and non-invasive evaluation of tumor response to cancer therapies in DCE-MRI.The targeted contrast agents specifically bind to the biomarker in tumor extracellular matrix, resulting in strong high-resolution contrast enhanced molecular MRI in the tumor tissue, even small tumors with size less than 1 mm. We have also developed multifunctional delivery systems to deliver therapeutic siRNAs to regulate the expression of disease related genes to effectively treat life-threatening diseases, including metastatic breast cancer. The siRNA delivery systems can effectively silence the target gene via systemic delivery to effectively prevent cancer progression. We have also designed macromolecular drug delivery systems for treating retinal generative diseases, including age-related macular degenerative diseases. The delivery systems can provide prolonged protection against light-induced retinal degeneration.
Introduction:
Zheng-Rong Lu received his PhD in Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991. In 1993, he got a full professor position in Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University. In 1999, he joined the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah as a Research Assistant Professor/Associated professor. Since 2009, he has been nominated as M. Frank Rudy and Margaret Domiter Rudy Professor (full professor) of Case Western Reserve University, USA. In 2012, he was awarded as Review Expert Overseas of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has authored or co-authored ~130 journal publications and ~100 abstract. He is the Guest Editor of Molecular Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Research and member of Editorial Board, ISRN Biomaterials, American Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and American Journal of Cancer Therapy and Pharmacology. His research areas include using biodegradable materials and organic nanomaterials to design and develop targeted, safe and effective imaging agents and drug delivery systems for diagnostic imaging, treatment of human diseases and image-guided therapy.