(12x) Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology: Tumor Cell Adhesion and Treatment in Blood and Bone Marrow

Metastasis through the bloodstream contributes to poor prognosis in many types of cancer. Mounting evidence implicates physical interactions between tumor cells and the local microenvironment as facilitating this process, in a manner similar to leukocyte trafficking during inflammation. In the first part of my talk, I will discuss our work in developing â??unnatural killer cellsâ? as an immunotherapy-inspired approach to kill metastatic tumor cells in the bloodstream. Through the use of lipid-based nanomaterials administered intravenously, we were able to coat the surface of circulating white blood cells in vivo with the immune cytokine TRAIL and the adhesion receptor E-selectin. This approach is inspired by the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, and is effective at killing tumor cells in human blood samples in vitro and in the peripheral circulation of mice in vivo. This nanoparticle platform holds promise as a means to neutralize circulating tumor cells in the blood and potentially block the progression of metastasis. In the second part of my talk, I will discuss the development of new strategies to deliver RNA therapeutics to the bone marrow microenvironment from the treatment of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer the colonizes within the marrow. Specifically, we have identified novel polymer-lipid hybrid platforms that, for the first time, enable potent gene delivery to the bone marrow microenvironment in vivo. These delivery materials were shown to silence key factors within bone marrow that trigger the homing, proliferation, and survival of multiple myeloma in vivo. These platforms are now currently being investigated for the prevention of breast and prostate cancer metastasis to bone, the treatment of multiple myeloma, and to increase the therapeutic efficacy of bone marrow stem cell transplantations.

One of the greatest opportunities as a professor is to serve as a mentor, in many different forms, to the next generation of scientists and engineers. Serving as mentor can occur in a variety of settings, ranging from the classroom, the lab, as well as the next phase of their own independent career. Throughout my academic, I have been committed and actively sought out opportunities to teach future scientists and engineers in various roles including: teaching assistant, guest lecturer, research mentor, and visiting scientist in outreach activities sponsored by federal agencies including the NSF and NIH. I have also had the privilege of mentoring more
than 10 trainees in the laboratory, which has shaped myself both as a research and educator, and has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my academic career to date.

Teaching Interests:

I am interested and qualified in teaching both Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering courses (undergraduate and graduate level) in the areas of biomaterials, reaction kinetics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics. Additionally, I am excited to create a graduate course in the emerging fields of Molecular Engineering, Drug Delivery, and Nanomedicine.