Saurabh Sharma, Ph.D.

Materials Science and Engineering
Northwestern University
Cook Hall, Rm 1163
2220 Campus Drive
Evanston IL, 60208-3108

Phone:	(847) 491-5809 (L)
Facsimile:	(847) 467-6573

Email: saurabh-sharma@northwestern.edu

Development and Characterization of New Nanostructures Based Targeted Therapies

• Surface modification of magnetic nanostructures (5-13nm) in order to make them biocompatible for subcellular distribution.
• Evaluation of in vitro biocompatibility and ascertain a minimum effective dose of magnetic nanostructures required for:
  • Effective Imaging
  • Optimum Therapeutics delivery
• Targeting Medulloblastoma (Pediatric Brain Tumor) cells:
  • Optical/Fluorescence Imaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Chemo Therapy
  • Gene Therapy.

Figure 1: Cell uptake of FITC-MNP (contact time 1 hr, MNP dose 20 µg/L, MNP particle size < 10 nm). (a) DAPI stain for nucleus, (b) Green is for FITC-MNP and (c) Merged image shows passive localization of FITC-MNP in medulloblastoma cells.

Figure 2: Cell targeting of antibody functionalized -MNP (contact time 2 hr, MNP dose 20 µg/L, MNP particle size < 10 nm). (a) DAPI stain for nucleus, (b) Red is for CY3-TGF-b Ab-MNP and (c) Merged image shows surface docking of antibody functionalized -MNP in medulloblastoma cells.

• Determine the efficacy of the multifunctional nanostructures to target cancer using In vivo mouse model:
  • intratumorally (using nude mice and injecting Therapeutic-MNPdirectly to tumor)
  • in vivo using mice model (peritonealy injecting Drug-conjugated nanostructures).
  • Thermal Activation Therapy