Medical Physics Seminar – Monday, November 3, 2014
Self-assembled Porphyrin Nanomaterials for Biomedical Imaging and Phototherapy
Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD (guest of Dr. Weibo Cai)
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, New York - USA
Summary:
Porphyrins have played numerous historic roles in development of new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. We will discuss some recent approaches to new nanostructured materials formed from porphyrins and related molecules and how these nanomaterials have enabling properties for disease diagnosis and therapy. In particular, we will discuss two recently reported nanoscale systems: First, porphyrin nanovesicles have been developed that can release drugs in response to laser irradiation, leading to enhanced drug deposition in irradiated tumors [1]. Second, a family of highly light-absorbing nanoparticles has been developed for safe and real-time gastrointestinal imaging following oral administration to mice [2]. Based on high copper affinity for porphyrin, both these nanoparticles can be seamlessly labeled with nuclear isotopes for nuclear imaging.
References:
[1]Porphyrin–Phospholipid Liposomes Permeabilized by Near-Infrared Light. Carter et al., Nat Commun, 5-3546, 2014
[2]Non-invasive Multimodal Functional Imaging of the Intestine with Frozen Micellar Naphthalocyanines. Zhang et al., Nat Nanotechnol, 9-631, 2014