Speaker : Kwangmeyung Kim, Ph.D (Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology)
Date : 2013-01-14
Location : Room 106， Pharmacy Hall, Dankook University
Abstract : The new paradigm establishes polymeric nanoparticle-based theragnosis as a new method for molecular imaging, early diagnosis, and drug delivery system. With the help of polymer chemistry, we propose two different novel strategies using polymeric nanoparticles for the development of smart probes and new drug carriers for the treatment and imaging various diseases. First, we propose a new drug delivery system for cancer theragnosis based on the nanoparticle-based technology. Nano-sized drug delivery system, such as liposome, micelles, nanoparticles, have been intensively investigated for their use in tumor therapy. The effectiveness of drug delivery system can be attributed to their small size, reduced drug toxicity, controlled drug release and modification of drug pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. However, to date, only limited information is available on the interaction of nanoparticles and tumors mainly due to the limited availability of proper tools of real-time and non-invasive imaging of nano-sized drug carriers in the body. Our new optical imagining system allowed real-time and non-invasive evaluation of nanoparticles’ biodistribution in vivo and revealed that nanoparticles were only localized in tumor site. Furthermore the efficacy of nano-sized drug carriers can be optimized and quantified in vivo using the systems. Thus, we anticipate that polymeric nanoparticles could serve as potential candidate as selective drug carriers for specified tumors in vivo.
Second, self-assembled and near-infrared fluorescence auto-quenched nanoparticular probes have been designed to visualize target molecules, such as proteases and protein kinases, in cellular levels. These nanoparticles should prove useful in cell-based high-throughput screens for chemicals that trigger apoptosis or protein kinases. It might also be possible to use these nanoparticles for detecting target molecules in live animals, perhaps even humans. Near-infrared radiation is not absorbed by the body, and thus, can be detected either through the skin or using fiber optic fluorescence detectors.