(4bg) Nanotechnology-Assisted, Mechanism-Based Phototherapy of Cancer

Photomedicine involves the understanding and application of light and it’s effect to advance health care and medical science. My post-doctoral research, with Prof. Tayyaba Hasan, focuses on the photochemical approaches for the treatment (photodynamic therapy, PDT) and diagnosis of pancreatic and ovarian cancers. The overall strategy is to develop nanotechnology-assisted, mechanism-based, imaging-guided combination treatment regimens that involve photo-activation of near-infrared-absorbing chemicals. My Ph.D. thesis, with Prof. Kaushal Rege, investigated the fundamental thermophysical and biological responses of the light activated-gold nanoparticles. We have developed multifunctional nanobioconjugates, and then applied them to improve prostate cancer treatment (combination drug delivery and photothermal therapy, PTT), and gastrointestinal anastomoses (photothermal tissue welding).

In this poster, I highlighted both the fundamental studies and the technological applications from my research, which demonstrate my ability in critical thinking, designing and executing experiments from theranostic nanoparticle synthesis to in vivo testing. My future research program will build upon my expertise in multifunctional nanoconstructs, photochemical (photothermal) approaches to (i) understand the fundamental therapy resistance mechanisms via photo-activation (or priming) of sub-cellular organelle, which will guide (ii) the development of advanced combination therapies for cancer (or other diseases) in a translational research setting.

Selected publications (out of 12):

Huang, H.C.; Walker, C.R.; Nanda, A.; Rege, K. Laser welding of ruptured intestinal tissue using plasmonic polypeptide nanocomposite solders. ACS Nano, 2013, 7(4), 2988-2998

Huang, H.C.; Nanda, A.; Rege, K. Investigation of Phase Separation Behavior and Formation of Plasmonic Nanocomposites from Polypeptide-Gold Nanorod Nanoassemblies. Langmuir, 2012, 28, 6645-6655 

Huang, H.C.; Yang, Y.; Nanda, A.; Koria, P.; Rege, K. Synergistic administration of Photothermal Therapy and Chemotherapy to Cancer Cells using Polypeptide-based Degradable Plasmonic Matrices. Nanomedicine, 2011, 6(3), 449-458

Huang, H.C.; Heys, J.J.; Rege, K. Spatiotemporal Temperature Distribution and Cancer Cell Death in Response to Extracellular Hyperthermia Induced by Gold Nanorods. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(5), 2892-2900

Huang, H.C.; Barua, S.; Kay, D.B.; Rege, K. Simultaneous Enhancement of Photothermal Stability and Gene Delivery Efficacy of Gold Nanorods Using Polyelectrolyte. ACS Nano, 2009, 3(10), 2941-2952