Optically Activated Nanomedicines: A Tool for imaging, Priming and Therapy

Optical activation of materials leads to thermal, photochemical and radiative processes which can be captured for response-based therapeutic design. The ability to use light as a reagent to provide free radical and activated oxygen-mediated cytotoxicity, combined with a control of conventional drug release, allows for the fabrication of light- controllable intelligent multiagent nanoconstructs that attack multiple pathways making nanomedicines more effective against cancer. This optically activated approach allows for a mechanistically diverse and spatio-temporally controlled strategy to tumor destruction. The molecules used for light activation, in addition to therapeutic capabilities, have finite fluorescence, creating an imaging handle for a built-in Theranostic process. Applications and projections for future use will be presented.

Biography: Dr. Tayyaba Hasan is a Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and is a Professor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. She is a leader in photochemical approaches to treatment and diagnosis using targeted strategies and incorporating nanotechnology. She is an inventor of the FDA approved photodynamic treatment of the leading cause of blindness in the western world, Age- Related Macular Degeneration used in millions of treatments. Her impact on Global Health includes two of her inventions of simple, smart phone-based, low-cost devices, which are being evaluated in clinical studies for treatment of oral cancer and antibiotic identification, in India and Thailand respectively. In recognition of her translational work and innovations she was the recipient of the NIH’s Pioneer Award in Biomedical Optics, Bench to Bedside Translation. She was awarded the Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award in recognition of trailblazing contributions to the field of Photodynamic Therapy, clinical translation and leadership to the photonics community. She has received four Lifetime Achievement awards from leading scientific organizations including the International Photodynamic Association. She has approximately 300 publications and has 12 US issued patents. She leads 2 multicenter international NCI funded programs for developing and translating innovative treatments of oral, pancreatic and skin cancers.