Topic:　Development of Anticancer Polymeric and Silica Nanoconjugates

Speaker:　Prof.  JianJun Cheng

From:　University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Time:　14:00 p.m.,　June.　7,  2012

Venue:　Room 403,  Lihua Building 

Abstract: We developed nanoconjugation technique to allow controlled formulations of sub-100 nm, mono-modal polymeric nanoconjugates with definable drug loading, quantitative drug loading efficiency and controlled release profiles. Nanoconjugates were prepared through drug-initiated ring-opening polymerization followed by nanoprecipitation. Hydroxyl-containing therapeutic agents were used as initiators to initiate living polymerization of cyclic ester monomers (e.g., lactide), and resulted in polyester-drug conjugates. The precipitation of the polyester-drug conjugates gave rise to the desired polyester-drug nanoconjugates. Using paclitaxel as a model drug, we formulated paclitaxel-polylactide nanoconjugates with 100% drug incorporation efficiency and up to 37% drug loading. This new type of nanoparticles showed excellent cancer targeting capability when cancer-specific aptamer ligands were conjugated to the surface of nanoconjugates. I will also discuss our recent research progress on developing size controlled silica nanoconjugates and assessing these silica-drug nanoconjugates for tumor penetration, biodistribution and anticancer efficacy.