ICoN2015 - Program

Chemotherapy is the most extensively used treatment in the fight against malignant neoplasms. Unfortunately, chemotherapy use is plagued with numerous side effects. These side effects are caused primarily because of the non-specific nature of the treatment as the drug is capable of killing normal and cancerous cells alike. Several drug delivery systems have been investigated to reduce these side effects by encapsulating the chemotherapeutic agent in a nano-sized carrier until it reaches the tumor site. These carriers include: solid nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes and e-liposomes. Once the nanoparticle reaches the desired location, ultrasound is applied to release the chemotherapy drug directly to the cancer site, thus avoiding any interaction with the healthy cells in the body. This way the adverse side effects of chemotherapy are minimized. This presentation will discuss two novel chemotherapy carriers (micelles and emulsion-Liposomes) used in conjunction with acoustic radiation to treat malignancies. 2nd International Conference on Nanotheranostics ICoN2015 29 Oct 2015 01 Nov 2015 Limassol, Cyprus © ICoN2015, with permission from the authors, 2015. 7 PLENARY LECTURE: Health and Safety Challenges in Nanotheranostics: An Update from the Biomaterials Perspective Rena Bizios, University of Texas at San Antonio, United States of America BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Rena Bizios is a Peter T. Flawn Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX. She earned her B.S. (Cum Laude) degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA), M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA), and Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA). She has pursued an academic career. Professor Bizios’ research interests include cellular and tissue engineering, tissue regeneration, biomaterials (including nanostructured ones) and biocompatibility. She has co-authored a textbook (entitled An Introduction to Tissue-Biomaterial Interactions), co-edited a book (Biological Interactions on Material Surfaces: Understanding and Controlling Protein, Cell and Tissue Responses), authored/co-authored 108 scientific publications and book chapters, and is co-inventor of several patents/disclosures. Professor Bizios is a member, and has been an active participant (including elected officer positions) in several professional scientific/engineering societies. She is a member of the editorial board of five scientific/engineering journals. Professor Bizios’ contributions to education and her research accomplishments have been recognized by the: Rensselaer Alumni Association Teaching Award (1997); Clemson Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Literature by the Society for Biomaterials (1998); Distinguished Scientist Award by the Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology (2009); Women’s Initiatives Mentorship Excellence Award by The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2010); Founders Award by the Society for Biomaterials (2014); Theo C. Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award by the Biomedical Engineering Division, American Society for Engineering Education (2014); Amber Award, The UTSA Ambassadors, The University of Texas at San Antonio (2014); and by her election as Charter Member of the Academy of Distinguished Researchers, The University of Texas at San Antonio (2015). Professor Bizios is Fellow of five professional scientific/engineering societies, specifically, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, International Union of the Societies for Biomaterials Sciences and Engineering, Society of Biomedical Engineering, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ABSTRACT The advent of nanostructured materials has set off major new developments in the biomaterials field because these materials have properties similar to those of physiological tissues (most of them characterized by surface grain sizes in the nanometer range), exhibit unique chemical and physical properties, and have untapped potential for novel biomedical applications. In the case of prosthetic, implantable devises, for example, nanostructured biomaterials provide promising alternatives to conventional ones because the nanostructured formulations promote interactions of proteins that mediate subsequent mammalian cell functions which are select, specific, and different that those observed on conventional materials of the same chemistry. The potential of nanostructured biomaterials for clinical applications, however, cannot be fulfilled before several current challenges are successfully addressed and resolved. In order to design and fabricate the next generation of nanostructured biomaterials for implant applications pertinent material structures and properties, material synthesis and preparation methodologies, must be developed and standardized. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of biomolecule and cell interactions with nanostructured material must be elucidated, understood, and integrated into biomedical applications. Most importantly, the biocompatibility and safety of nanoparticles (produced by either bio-resorpable or biodegradable implant materials) must be definitively established prior to clinical use of nanostructured materials. The aforementioned and related issues provide justification, motivation, and opportunities for current and future research endeavors in the field of nanostructured biomaterials for a wide scope of biomedical applications. Relevant health-related safety concerns have prompted various national/international academic, government, and research organizations to initiate efforts towards standardizing methodologies and analyses as well as coordinating data interpretation and assuring dissemination of pertinent scientific information. Such endeavors aim at establishing international standards to assure the biosafety of nanostructured materials which are used for clinical diagnostic purposes and therapeutic treatment applications.The advent of nanostructured materials has set off major new developments in the biomaterials field because these materials have properties similar to those of physiological tissues (most of them characterized by surface grain sizes in the nanometer range), exhibit unique chemical and physical properties, and have untapped potential for novel biomedical applications. In the case of prosthetic, implantable devises, for example, nanostructured biomaterials provide promising alternatives to conventional ones because the nanostructured formulations promote interactions of proteins that mediate subsequent mammalian cell functions which are select, specific, and different that those observed on conventional materials of the same chemistry. The potential of nanostructured biomaterials for clinical applications, however, cannot be fulfilled before several current challenges are successfully addressed and resolved. In order to design and fabricate the next generation of nanostructured biomaterials for implant applications pertinent material structures and properties, material synthesis and preparation methodologies, must be developed and standardized. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of biomolecule and cell interactions with nanostructured material must be elucidated, understood, and integrated into biomedical applications. Most importantly, the biocompatibility and safety of nanoparticles (produced by either bio-resorpable or biodegradable implant materials) must be definitively established prior to clinical use of nanostructured materials. The aforementioned and related issues provide justification, motivation, and opportunities for current and future research endeavors in the field of nanostructured biomaterials for a wide scope of biomedical applications. Relevant health-related safety concerns have prompted various national/international academic, government, and research organizations to initiate efforts towards standardizing methodologies and analyses as well as coordinating data interpretation and assuring dissemination of pertinent scientific information. Such endeavors aim at establishing international standards to assure the biosafety of nanostructured materials which are used for clinical diagnostic purposes and therapeutic treatment applications. 2nd International Conference on Nanotheranostics ICoN2015 29 Oct 2015 01 Nov 2015 Limassol, Cyprus © ICoN2015, with permission from the authors, 2015. 9 Keynote Lectures: Design considerations for nanotherapeutics in oncology Triantafylllos Stylianopoulos, Cancer Biophyics Lab, University of Cyprus, Cyprus