The Chemistry department invites you to join us for a seminar on Thursday, March 13 at 4:30 p.m. in Bio19. Our seminar speaker, Dr. Conroy Sun, will give a lecture titled, Cancer Nanotechnology: Application of Small Materials for Big Impacts in Oncology. Learn more about this lecture and Dr. Sun's work below. We hope you'll join us!

Abstract

Nanomaterials have attracted significant attention for their potential to revolutionize medicine due to their unique properties and ability to function at the scale of biomolecular interactions. Of particular interest, nanoparticle-based drug delivery and molecular imaging platforms may significantly change the way we diagnosis and treat diseases, such as cancer. The first nanotechnology-based cancer drugs, including Doxil and Abraxane, have already made their way into the clinic with many more in the pipeline. Recently, on the heels of widespread use in the COVID-19 vaccines, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) serving as gene therapies have made promising advances in cancer immunotherapy applications. Meanwhile, metallic-based nanoparticles, such as quantum dots and fluorescent dye-doped silica, have already shown great impact as molecular imaging agents in preclinical cancer research and have begun evaluation in human clinical trials. In this talk, I will discuss two nanoplatforms for potential applications in oncology. First, I will focus on the use of nanoscale metal-organic-frameworks (nMOFs) to enable novel molecular image and treatment modalities. In this work, the combined utility of medical x-rays and nanotechnology are leveraged for detecting and treating solid tumors. In this work I’ll describe use of high-Z nanoparticles, as radiation dose enhancers and carriers of radiation sensitizers. Second, I will discuss our current developments in the area of LNPs for mRNA delivery to enhance radio/immunotherapy. Finally, we’ll review the current landscape in nanomedicine and potential areas of future impact for cancer care.

Bio

Dr. Conroy Sun is an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. Dr. Sun is also an Affiliate Associate Professor of Radiation Medicine and Affiliate Member of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. The focus of his research program is the development of novel biomaterials for drug delivery and molecular imaging. Currently, the major project of his laboratory is the investigation of nanomaterials to improve radiation and chemoradiation therapy of various cancers. This interdisciplinary research spans chemical/nanoparticle synthesis to preclinical development. This work is currently supported by an NIH National Cancer Institute R01 and was previously funded by the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences’ Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award for Early Stage Investigators (R35). Dr. Sun obtained his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Washington. Prior to his independent position at OSU, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University funded by a DOD Breast Cancer Research Program Postdoctoral Fellowship. As a materials engineer, Dr. Sun has extensive experience combining nanoparticle based carriers for gene and drug delivery in the context of radiotherapy. Dr. Sun is author of over 60 research papers in peer-reviewed journals (Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Nano Letters, Nano Research, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Cancer Letters and others). Dr. Sun is an ad hoc reviewer for 25 peer-reviewed journals and regularly serves on several NIH study sections, including Cancer Drug Development and Therapeutics (CDDT). In addition, he is an inventor on one full patent, four provisional patent applications, and six patent applications.