Graduate Seminar Series: Molecular Stream – Michael Valic

Graduate Seminar Series: Molecular Stream
Graduate Seminar Series for the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME). This day is for molecular stream presenters.
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Presentation Title: Optimisation strategy for nanoparticle-based photodynamic therapy using clinical veterinary models of thyroid cancer
Abstract:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a nonsurgical ablative treatment strategy that can precisely target cancerous cells while sparing surrounding healthy cells. PDT involves administration of a photosensitiser drug that accumulates in tumour tissues and is activated by laser light to generate cytotoxic radical oxygen species. Delivery of photosensitisers using nanoparticles can further enhance the selectivity of drug delivery to tumour cells and improve the overall safety of PDT treatments in patients.
The success of PDT depends on three key treatment parameters: nanoparticle/drug dose, drug-light interval (DLI), and light dose. Optimisation of these parameters are typically accomplished through pharmacokinetic and PDT efficacy studies in tumour-bearing rodents. While rodent models are convenient, they often fail to reproduce the anatomical, pathological, and clinical complexities of human disease and frequently necessitate re-optimisation of PDT treatments in trial patients.
To overcome this translational barrier, we have devised a strategy to optimise PDT treatment efficacy in clinical veterinary models with naturally occurring cancers prior to human clinical trials. In canine patients with resectable papillary thyroid cancer, nanoparticle-based PDT treatments were performed varying the treatment parameters (i.e., nanoparticle dose, DLI, light dose) previously studied in rodents and the treatment efficacy evaluated with histopathology. The outcome of this study is a more robust PDT treatment protocol that can be reliably implemented in human patients with head and neck cancers.
Supervisor Name: Gang Zheng
Year of Study: 3
Program of Study: PhD
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610372821?pwd=azd4SCtYVWtreVovaGNPV1c2NGY2Zz09
Meeting ID: 896 1037 2821
Password: 483329
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