Novel Nanotechnology Solutions to Oncology Challenges

Liposomal nanoparticles have made important contributions to cancer therapy over the two past decades, but their limited tunability and stability hinder further progress in addressing unmet oncology needs. By harnessing the power of synthetic chemistry and nanotechnology, the Lin group has developed several novel classes of molecular nanomaterials, including nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) and nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (nMOFs) for effective cancer therapy.

In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts on designing NCPs and nMOFs containing multiple therapeutics or treatment modalities for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy of resistant cancers. These biodegradable molecular nanomaterials provide a nontoxic platform for the delivery of a wide range of potent anticancer drugs such as platins, taxanes, biologics, photosensitizers, and others to tumors. They carry high payloads of therapeutic cargoes and can be more efficiently delivered to tumors than current therapies, leading to reduced toxicity to normal cells and more potent antitumor efficacy. The pros and cons of NCPs and nMOFs will be compared and contrasted with other established nanoparticle systems. Clinical translation of representative systems will also be discussed.

Speaker: Wenbin Lin, Univ. of Chicago