(6gg) Strategic Advancement of Targeted Nanomedicines: Intelligent Bio-Nanoengineering Using Molecular Imaging in 3D and In Vivo tumor Models

Abstract ID: 542421

Girgis Obaid, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow,
Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard
Medical School

Title

Strategic Advancement of
Targeted Nanomedicines: Intelligent Bio-Nanoengineering Using Molecular Imaging
in 3D and In Vivo tumor Models

Email

girgisobaid@gmail.com

Abstract Text

Research Interests:

I am a biochemist with strong
doctoral training in nanochemistry and ligand targeted photodynamic therapy of
cancer. My current Postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Tayyaba Hasan
is funded by my NIH:NCI K99-R00 award and focuses on
image-guided ligand targeted nanotherapeutic combination regimens.

With the clinical emergence of targeted nanomedicines, a
concurrent emergence of skepticisms has arisen regarding the true capacity for
ligand directed nanotechnologies to engage with their tumor cell targets in vivo. This skepticism has created a
growing knowledge gap between nanotechnologists developing cutting edge ligand
targeted nanotherapeutics, with their various permutations and utilities, and
the broadly inconsistent in vivo responses.
It is becoming increasingly evident that the complexity of multiplexed bio-nanoconstructs
requires detailed and rigorous tuning, where the combination of multiple
nanoconstruct properties must be evaluated together. Such an approach is
insufficient when 2D cellular binding specificity is used as the primary metric
for success, and it becomes imperative that specificity to 3D tumor tissue and in vivo molecular specificity is
validated.

In light of this unmet need, I am driven to establishing a
collaborative fully-funded K99-R00 NIH sponsored independent program that is
dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap between fundamental nanoengineering of
targeted nanomedicines and true molecular binding and biological responses to
combination-based targeted therapies for cancer. Utilizing my consistent
evidence of cross-disciplinary expertise, and my dedicated postdoctoral
training in clinically-relevant targeted nanomedicines and molecular imaging in
both complex 3D models and in vivo, I
aspire to establish a unique program. This program will specifically serve to
enrich the understanding of fundamentals in nanotechnology, to provide
well-thought out and validated workflows of in
vivo testing in order to expedite the translation of safer, more specific
targeted nanomedicines. Alleviating this bottleneck in the literature that centers
on the skepticism with regards to the reported inconsistencies will provide invaluable
centralized information that will serve to forge both industry and academic
partnerships with my future host institution. This is consistent with my
current research interests that include partnerships with two industry corporations
and with four national esteemed academic institutions.

Publications (see
bottom)

Education

Ph.D.
University of East Anglia, United Kingdom (Advisor: Professor David Russell)

B.Sc.
Biochemistry (Hons) University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

Funding

1. Molecular imaging-directed bioengineering of nanoconjugates as
adaptable tumor targeting platforms

NIH/NCI 1K99CA215301

Role on Project: PI

02/01/18 –
02/01/23

2. A multifunctional drug delivery system for
image-guided combination of PDT and anti-angiogenic agent in an in vivo glioblastoma model

Bullock-Wellman
Fellowship

Role on Project: PI

01/01/14 –
01/01/15

Peer Review

Independent Editor for Journals: Scientific
Reports, RSC Advances, PLoS ONE, Photochemistry and Photobiology, Photochemical
and Photobiological Sciences, Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, Lasers
in Surgery and Medicine

Teaching Interests:

Having been the lucky recipient
of outstanding teaching and mentorship throughout my entire academic path, I am
passionate about empowering the next generation of students to question,
observe, evaluate and educate others, themselves. obseGiven my background in biochemistry,
nanotechnology and clinical nanomediciens, I am driven to pursue a
cross-disciplinary Tenure Track Teaching position at departments including
Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Bioengineering, Drug Discovery
and Medicinal Chemistry.

I have given lectures on
“Nanomaterials in the Human Body: Behavior, Interactions and Customization”
for a BMED 4200 – Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering class at Wentworth
Institute of Technology and on “Light activated nanomedicines” at the
Harvard-MIT (HST) Summer Institute in Biomedical Optics. I have also been an
active member of the Mass General Postdoc Association (MGPA) for five years and
have founded a highly successful initiative to bridge communication between
academia and industry. I have mentored over 10 scientists at training levels
varying from undergraduate, doctoral, medical, postdoctoral and clinical
fellowships. My long-standing academic philosophy that I teach my mentees is to
observe with critical diligence to evaluate from every angle and to question
every assumption made.

Publications

Obaid, G., Samkoe, K., Mallidi, S., Tichauer, K., Bano,
S., Park, Y., Silber, Z., Jing, W., Pogue, B. and Hasan., T. Paired-Nanotracer
Imaging quantifies in vivo nanoconstruct binding to EGFR in glioblastoma and
enhances the specificity of imaging for fluorescence guided surgery (2018) Pending submission

Obaid, G.,
Jin, W., Bano, S., Kessel, D. and Hasan., T. Nanolipid formulations of
benzoporphyrin derivative: Exploring the dependence of nanoconstruct
photophysics and photochemistry on their therapeutic index in ovarian cancer
cells (2018) Under review

Obaid, G.,
Bano, S., Mallidi, S., Kuriakose, J., Broekgaarden, M., Silber, Z., Bulin,A-L., Wang, Y., Mai, Z.,Simeone, D. and Hasan., T.
2018. Chemically tuned NIR-light activated photoimmuno-nanoconstructs using
copper-free click chemistry exhibit efficient penetration and selective
destruction in heterocellular 3D tumor models (2018) Under review

Rizvi, I.*,
Obaid, G*., Bano, S., Hasan, T. and Kessel, D., (2018) Photodynamic therapy:
Promoting in vitro efficacy of photodynamic therapy by liposomal formulations
of a photosensitizing agent. Lasers in surgery and medicine. doi:
10.1002/lsm.22813. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29527710

Obaid, G.,
Spring, B.Q., Bano, S. and Hasan, T., (2017) Activatable clinical
fluorophore-quencher antibody pairs as dual molecular probes for the enhanced
specificity of image-guided surgery. Journal of biomedical optics, 22(12),
p.121607. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28853247

Mallidi,
S., Anbil, S., Bulin, A. L., Obaid, G., Ichikawa, M., & Hasan, T. (2016).
Beyond the Barriers of Light Penetration: Strategies, Perspectives and
Possibilities for Photodynamic Therapy. Theranostics, 6(13), 2458.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5118607/

Obaid, G.,
Broekgaarden, M., Bulin, A. L., Huang, H. C., Kuriakose, J., Liu, J., &
Hasan, T. (2016). Photonanomedicine: a convergence of photodynamic therapy and
nanotechnology. Nanoscale, 8(25), 12471-12503.
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/nr/c5nr08691d#!divAbs...

Obaid, G.,
Chambrier, I., Cook, M.J. and Russell, D.A. Cancer targeting with biomolecules:
A comparative study of photodynamic therapy efficacy using antibody or lectin
conjugated phthalocyanine-PEG gold nanoparticles, Photochemical and
Photobiological Sciences 2015, 14 (4), 737-747. DOI: 10.1039/c4pp00312h
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25604735

Obaid, G.,
Chambrier, I., Cook, M.J. and Russell, D.A. Targeting the Oncofetal
Thomsen–Friedenreich Disaccharide Using Jacalin-PEG Phthalocyanine Gold
Nanoparticles for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy, Angewandte Chemie International
Edition 2012, 51 (25), 6158-6162. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201201468 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201201468/abstract