Nanomedicine and drug delivery
The Mukhopadhyay lab has developed a versatile platform of lipid-based and polymer-based nanoparticles for precision cancer therapy.
These nanocarriers are engineered to selectively deliver chemotherapeutic agents, nucleic acids and gene therapy payloads directly to tumor cells in cancers of the pancreas, kidney, brain and lungs.
These advanced stimuli-responsive nanocarriers are equipped with tumor-targeting molecules to enable controlled and site-specific drug release. This enhances drug accumulation at the disease site while minimizing systemic toxicity. Our precision delivery platform improves therapeutic efficacy, reduces off-target effects and ensures greater patient safety.
We also have advanced innovative cancer therapies by using these nanocarriers for the precise modulation of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, which offers the potential to correct underlying genetic drivers of cancer.
In addition, the nanocarriers serve as efficient platforms to deliver cancer vaccines. This improves antigen stability, targeted immune activation and overall immunogenicity. The combination of molecular-level precision and potent immune stimulation opens new avenues for personalized cancer treatment.
We also have developed nanocarrier systems to overcome drug resistance by circumventing efflux mechanisms in resistant cancer cells, which enhances intracellular drug retention and potency. By enabling the co-delivery of chemotherapeutic agents with siRNA or other gene-silencing molecules, these systems effectively suppress resistance-related gene expression, restore drug sensitivity, and improve therapeutic outcomes in otherwise refractory tumors.
Nanoparticle-based strategies to diagnose and treat cancer
This diagram highlights the versatile roles of various nanoparticle (NP) types in advancing cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. These include lipid-based, polymer-based, hydrogel and lipid/polymer hybrid nanoparticles. For cancer imaging, nanoparticles can be engineered to target tumor cells, enabling precise in vivo imaging for early cancer detection. For chemotherapy delivery, therapeutic agents encapsulated within NPs can be administered orally or intravenously to selectively reduce tumor burden, enhancing drug efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. Nanoparticles also can deliver radiation sensitizers directly to tumor sites, improving the effectiveness of radiotherapy. Nanoparticles also are used to transport mRNA or tumor-specific antigens, which activates the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Each application leverages the targeted delivery capabilities of nanoparticles to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce adverse effects.