Event

Bioengineering Seminar Series: Vinod Labhasetwar

Friday, November 14, 2014
9:00 a.m.
Pepco Room (1105), Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building
Associate Professor Silvia Muro
muro@umd.edu

Vinod Labhasetwar
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute

Biophysics of Cell Membrane Lipids in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications for Drug Transport and Drug Delivery with Nanoparticles

Recent advances in membrane lipid research show the varied roles of lipids in regulating membrane P-glycoprotein function, membrane trafficking, apoptotic pathways, drug transport, and endocytic functions, particularly endocytosis, the primary mechanism of cellular uptake of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Since acquired drug resistance alters lipid biosynthesis, understanding the role of lipids in cell membrane biophysics and its effect on drug transport is critical for developing effective therapeutic and drug delivery approaches to overcoming drug resistance. We hypothesize that altered lipid synthesis/biophysical characteristics in resistant cell membrane may be linked to epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance. Two different novel strategies are being investigated to overcome drug resistance: (a) modulating the biophysical properties of membrane lipids of resistant cells to facilitate drug transport and regain endocytic function and (b) developing effective nanoparticles based on their biophysical interactions with membrane lipids to enhance drug delivery and overcome drug resistance.

About the Speaker

Vinod Labhasetwar, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, and in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.  He leads Cleveland Clinic’s Cancer NanoMedicine Program, a collaborative effort jointly sponsored by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Taussig Cancer Institute. 

Dr. Labhasetwar’s research focus is on a) cancer detection and treatments using surface engineered nanoparticles for drug and gene delivery, b) antioxidant enzyme delivery to the central nervous system to prevent reperfusion injury in stroke and to treat spinal cord injury, and c) vascular targeting of therapy to prevent post-angioplasty hyperplasia. His basic research interest is to understand the role of biophysics of cell membrane lipids in drug transport and nanoparticle uptake. His recent work involves investigating epigenetic nanotherapy for treating drug resistant and metastatic cancers.

He is the editor-in-chief of Drug Delivery and Translational Research, an official journal of the Controlled Release Society. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and holds several U.S. and international patents; has received Distinguished Scientist and Innovator awards; and is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. He is the 2014 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher based on top 1% by citation.