Pro-Apoptotic Breast Cancer Nanotherapeutics
Abstract
In the past year the DOD BRCP CDMRP Postdoctoral Fellowship has supported my training in translational breast cancer research as part of an interdisciplinary team of scientists using nanotechnology to develop new therapies for breast cancer that activate apoptosis in breast tumor cells. As a member of the Northwestern University Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center I have been able to participate in exciting lecture series and conferences as well as obtain further training in biologic techniques from Cancer Center Core facilities to study cancer biology. I have been working to develop pro-apoptotic nanotherapeutics directed against basal-like breast cancer using a novel nanotechnology platform pioneered by my mentor Prof. Stupp. Our original plan was to combine nanoparticles that induce breast cancer apoptosis through the actions of pro-apoptotic Smac and Trail peptides; we have focused on Trail given our success using this peptide to target and kill cancer cells. Accomplishments include: 1) We have further refined biologically active Trail peptide amphiphile (PA) nanofibers and shown similar binding characteristic to the target receptor 2) We have coassembled Trail PAs with PEGylated PAs and encapsulated paclitaxel to construct a multivalent targeted chemotherapeutic 3) We have demonstrated efficacy of the proapoptotic nanoparticles using a mouse model of basal-like breast cancer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA595638
Entities
People
- Daniel J. Toft
Organizations
- Northwestern University