Achievement

An IGERT Trainee, with his interdisciplinary collaboration between physical scientists, biological scientists, engineers and physicians, synthesized and characterized superparamagnetic nanoparticles with biocompatible and hydrophilic coatings. The research also involves conjugation of targeting ligands and therapeutic drugs to the nanoparticles. The research requires extensive physicochemical, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of nanoparticles. In particular, the Trainee developed and evaluated two tumor-specific nanoprobes by functionalization of a polyethylene glycol-immobilized nanoparticle with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) or chlorotoxin ligand that targets $alpha$(v)$beta$(3) integrin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 receptors, respectively.