Researchers at the Midwest Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center (M-CNTC) are developing a blood-clot mimicking patch capable of delivering therapeutic drugs at an implantation site in a controllable manner. The patch, consisting of drug-releasing microparticles bound to directionally aligned microfibers, was formed through a unique electrospinning/electrospraying process. This image shows the 2-6 micrometer thick drug-releasing microparticles attached to the 1 micrometer thick directionally aligned microfibers on the patch.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnership (CNPP) and Cancer Nanoscience and Microsystems Training Center (CNTC) are developing new nanoparticle platforms for targeted cellular delivery of multicomponent cargos and observing their interaction with cells in vivo. In this depiction of their technology (termed 'Protocell'), porous silica nanoparticles loaded with multicomponent cargos, covered with a lipid bilayer act via a targeted delivery mechanism to release their contents directly to cancer cells.
Researchers at the Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (NU-CCNE) are developing gold and silver nanostructures with controlled shapes for use in a wide range of applications including detection, electronics, medicine, and catalysis. This image shows a stack of gold nanocubes with concave surfaces. The concave nanocubes have highly-sloped faces containing large numbers of exposed surface atoms, which are beneficial for catalytic applications, and also have sharp corners which are useful for detection applications.
Researchers at the Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center at CalTech focus on the development and validation of tools for early detection and stratification of cancer through rapid and quantitative measurement of panels of serum and tissue-based biomarkers. The image above shows the DEAL (DNA-encoded antibody library) barcode assay, a high density information test for human blood proteins designed to show the individual identities of every human disease, allowing for personalized medicine.
Researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, funded in part by a Pathway to Independence Award in Cancer Nanotechnology Research, are developing new tools for the detection and treatment of cancer based on a hybrid material made of carbon and nitrogen-based tubes combined with tiny gold particles. This image shows the bamboo-like structure of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes, 50 nm in diameter and 500-1000 nm in length, to which 10 nm spherical gold particles have been linked. This novel material can be traced in the body by using x-ray and heat from exposure to laser energy. This combination may allow surgeons to identify and treat tumors that are inaccessible to current surgical techniques.
Researchers at the Stanford University Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and Translation (CCNE-T) are developing nanotubes for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. As part of this work, they are applying advanced microscopic techniques to study and improve efficiency of how nanoparticles target tumors in living mice. This image shows blood vessels (light blue) infiltrating brain cancer (purple) in a live mouse. The high resolution achieved here enables single cancer cells to be visualized and allows direct observation and quantification of nanoparticle delivery and their targeting cancer cells.
Researchers from Northeastern University, the Roger Williams Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (all part of a NCI Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnership) focus on nanotherapeutic strategy for multidrug-resistant tumors. In this image, multifunctional biodegradable nanoparticles were used to administer agents directly into cells. Researchers hope to be able to deliver anticancer therapies through this mechanism.
Researchers at the Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (NU-CCNE) are using nanotechnology to develop highly sensitive diagnostic systems for cancer. The image above, taken with a transmission electron microscope, shows DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles that have been assembled into a two-dimensional superlattice. DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles are being used in a variety of high sensitivity biodiagnostic systems developed by the Mirkin group.
Researchers at the Texas Center for Cancer Nanomedicine (TCCN) are developing and applying a diverse array of nanoplatforms for new therapeutics, methodologies for reliable monitoring of therapeutic efficacy, early detection approaches from biological fluids, and advances in imaging, and cancer-prevention protocols for ovarian and pancreatic cancers. One project is developing spherical silica nanoparticles coated with gold that produce heat upon exposure to near-infrared light, enabling specific thermal destruction of cancer cells. Here, nanoshells (red) are observed traveling through the blood vessels of a human glioma grown in a mouse.
One of the critical issues in designing efficient cancer therapies is understanding the composition of heterogeneous tumors in order to target cancer stem cells and drug resistant subpopulations. Particularly challenging is metastatic melanoma, a disease whose incidence and mortality rates have been increasing over the last few decades, and is highly resistant to conventional chemotherapies. Researchers at the Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence have revealed the re-emergence of a normally dormant Nodal embryonic pathway underlying melanoma stem cell plasticity, drug resistance, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. Understanding the impact of this embryonic signal on tumor cell heterogeneity holds significant promise for new cancer therapies. In this confocal microscopy image, they used SmartFlareTM Detection Probes developed at Northwestern to isolate Nodal positive melanoma cells from a heterogeneous population. The image shows that Nodal (blue) positive cells are also positive for CD-133 (green), another biomarker associated with cancer stem cells and drug resistance.
Inhibidor de puntos de control inmunitario; en el panel de la izquierda se muestra la unión de las proteínas B7-1/B7-2 (en la célula tumoral) con CTLA-4 (en la célula T), lo que impide que las células T destruyan las células tumorales del cuerpo. También se muestra un antígeno de una célula tumoral y un receptor de una célula T. En el panel de la derecha, se muestran inhibidores de puntos de control inmunitario (anti-B7-1/B7-2 y anti-CTLA-4) que impiden la unión de B7-1/B7-2 con CTLA-4, lo que permite que las células T destruyan las células tumorales.
Inhibidor de puntos de control inmunitario; en el panel de la izquierda se muestra la unión de la proteína PD-L1 (en la célula tumoral) con la proteína PD-1 (en la célula T), lo que impide que la célula T destruya la célula tumoral del cuerpo. También se muestra un antígeno de una célula tumoral y un receptor de una célula T. En el panel de la derecha, se muestran inhibidores de puntos de control inmunitario (anti-PD-L1 y anti-PD-1) que impiden la unión de PD-L1 con PD-1, lo que permite que la célula T destruya la célula tumoral.
Cervical cancer is resistant to many forms of therapy, including radiation, making it a virtually incurable tumor. Researchers at the Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence have developed core-shell-peptide nanoparticles capable of entering a cancer cell?s cytoplasm and nucleus and making these cells much more sensitive to radiation therapy. This image is a still shot reconstructed from X-ray fluorescence tomographic images of one human cervical cancer cell?s nucleus (gold color), with titanium nanoparticle clusters (green) in the cell cytoplasm and nucleus.
Researchers at the MIT-Harvard Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) have developed a hybrid microfluidic/semiconductor chip for single cell analysis. Integrating microfabricated Hall sensors and microfluidic networks, the chip can accurately detect individual, magnetically-labeled cells directly in unprocessed specimens. The image shows a prototype device consisting of a Hall-sensor substrate and a microfluidic structure on top.
Researchers at the MIT-Harvard Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and the MIT Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnership are focused on the central goals of rapidly translating recent advances in nanotechnology for use in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and the development of next generation nanomaterials. The image above is an electron micrograph of a suspended microchannel resonant (SMR) mass sensor under development by researchers at the MIT-Harvard CCNE/CNPP. This sensor is being developed for label-free detection of cancer biomarkers. The image shows a bottom view of the resonator that has been intentionally etched open to visualize the fluidic conduit inside.
Researchers at the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence focused on Therapeutic Response (CCNE-TR) from Stanford University are using magnetic nanoparticles in clinical diagnostics and therapy. The image above reveals the trajectories of urophore labeled magnetic naoparticles under a rotating magnetic field gradient.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnership (CNPP) and Cancer Nanoscience and Microsystems Training Center (CNTC) are developing new nanoparticle platforms for targeted cellular delivery of multicomponent cargos and observing their interaction with cells in vivo. In this image, porous silica nanoparticles loaded with fluorescent cargo are visible circulating in the vasculature or arrested in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of ex ovo chick embryos. Particles of different size, shape, and surface chemistry are observed as different colors, with particle path and velocity determined via fluorescent trails. Blue and black are tissue and red blood cells, respectively.
Researchers at the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence are using semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) to reveal the molecular fingerprints of individual cells for early detection of cancer. By examining the expression of these markers, it is possible to determine metastatic potential of the disease and prescribe personalized and effective therapy.
Researchers at the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence focused on Therapeutic Response (CCNE-TR) from Stanford University are working on developing rapid diagnostic assays based for detection of magnetic nanoparticle labels. Imaged here is a microfluidic magneto-nano chip with 8 by 8 sensors arrays and 8 microfluidic channels. These chips are being developed to monitor protein profiles in blood samples from cancer patients to improve therapeutic effectiveness. The key to this technology is the use of magnetic nanoparticles to label protein molecules which are then accurately counted by the magneto-nano chip.
Researchers at the Emory/Georgia Tech Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence synthesize, by vapor-solid process, aligned ZnO nanowire arrays as shown in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image above. Growth of aligned arrays of nanowires is of great importance in nanobiotechnology and can be used for biosensing, manipulation of cells, and converting mechanical energy into electricity for powering nanodevices.
