Event
BIOE Seminar Series: Theresa M. Busch (University of Pennsylvania)
Friday, December 11, 2020
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Virtual
Huang Chiao Huang
hchuang@umd.edu
Join us for the Bioengineering Seminar Series, which connects experts from around the country with our faculty, students, and staff to discuss their recent findings. Everyone is welcome!
The Fall 2020 seminars will be held virtually on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m., unless otherwise noted. All BIOE faculty, students, staff, postdocs, and affiliates as well as additional subscribers to our weekly seminars emails will receive Zoom event information the week of each seminar.
If you do not yet receive our weekly seminars email and would like to subscribe to the listserv, or if there is a particular seminar listed below that you would like to attend, please email Emily Rosenthal.
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Dr. Theresa M. Busch
Professor
Associate Director of Radiation Biology Division
Department of Radiation Oncology
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
About the Speaker
Theresa M. Busch, PhD is professor and Associate Director of the Division of Research, Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests encompass the study of tumor microenvironment as it relates to radiation therapy, including ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiation in the form of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Her lab has characterized how treatment parameters such as fluence rate, together with physiologic characteristics of the tumor microenvironment such as its oxygenation or blood flow, can individually or cooperatively act on radiotherapy response. Through elucidation of how PDT interacts with the tumor microenvironment, the Busch laboratory identifies photophysical, molecular targeted and immunological interventions with translational potential to optimize treatment outcomes. Her research in this area has been continuously funded through the NIH since 2001. Dr. Busch is active as a mentor to students of all levels, from undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows. She is involved in national and international societies on photomedical research and is currently Treasurer for the American Society for Photobiology. She serves as Vice Chair for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in the Department of Radiation Oncology.
Personalization, Priming, and Promise in Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can provide for the treatment of superficial disease, such
as premalignant/early stage cancers of epithelial surfaces or residual tumor cells at the
margins of a surgical resection. It can be delivered interstitially to more deep-set
tumors and may applied in either an adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting. PDT is
advantageous for these applications because of its local cytotoxic effect with limited
mutagenic potential, minimal risk of systemic toxicity, amenability to intraoperative
delivery, and potential for repeat application as required. Across all of these
applications, the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in determining
treatment outcome to PDT. The oxygenation level and blood flow of tumors, together
with PDT effect on these parameters, are found to correlate with short and long-term
treatment outcomes. Approaches to sensitize tumor vasculature to PDT damage can
be used to improve therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, in combinational regimens, PDT
activation of immunity may be harnessed to improve the potential for long term tumor
control. In the course of this talk, the personalization, priming and promise of PDT will
be considered as is made possible through its interaction with the tumor
microenvironment. The microenvironmental effects and dependencies of PDT provide
opportunities to personalize treatment as a function of tumor physiologic parameters.
Modulation of these parameters can be used to prime tumors to PDT. Finally, promise
exists in exploitation of PDT’s immunological effects in settings that combine it with
other treatment modalities.
