06/20/2023
By Michele Moreau

The Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology program invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Michele Moreau on “Biomedical Engineering of Immunogenic Smart Radiotherapy Biomaterials.”

Degree: Doctoral
Date: Thursday, July 6, 2023
Time: 10 -11 a.m.
Location: 4th floor conference room, Smith Building, Johns Hopkins University and via Zoom. Please email Michele_Moreau@student.uml.edu or Erno_Sajo@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Committee Chair: Prof. Wilfred Ngwa, Physics Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members:

  • Prof. Erno Sajo, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Prof. Kwok-Fan Chow, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract: Solid fiducial markers are routinely used in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) to provide precision or geometrical accuracy and generate better target localization. Similarly, liquid fiducial markers have been recently engineered to enhance target visibility during image-guided radiotherapy with high precision. The purpose of this project is to bioengineer immunogenic smart radiotherapy biomaterials (iSRBs) formulated as either solid fiducial seeds made of an inert polymer, poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, PLGA, or a liquid immunogenic fiducial eluter (LIFE biomaterial) gel made of natural biodegradable polymers such as chitosan and sodium alginate to function as multifunctional drug delivery systems. iSRB or LIFE biomaterial drug delivery systems will be investigated in their role as a fiducial marker during image-guided radiotherapy and their ability to enhance treatment outcomes during radiotherapy. The iSRBs are produced with either titanium dioxide (TiO2) or gadolinium based (GdNPs) nanoparticles and loaded with either anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody or Caflanone drug. The design endows multi-functional iSRBs to provide computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast during IGRT and image-guided drug delivery. The IGRT ability of the iSRBs is investigated in different cancers, including lung, cervical, pancreatic, and prostate preclinical models, respectively. The results show that iSRBs can provide image contrast during IGRT and significantly enhance treatment outcomes with one fraction of low radiation dose delivered using a small-animal-radiation-research-platform (SARRP). In addition, the pharmacodynamics (PD) of the formulated novel multifunctional iSRB system was investigated in healthy mice and showed minimum toxicity generated by the iSRB seed. The data from this project has resulted in phase 1 clinical trial for iSRBs loaded with Caflanone. The results demonstrate significant potential for clinical translation of a new generation of multi-functional fiducial markers in radiation oncology.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend the defense via remote online access.