Lopez-Berestein Laboratory
Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, M.D.
Professor
- Departments, Labs and Institutes
- Labs
- Lopez-Berestein Laboratory
Areas of Research
- Nanomedicine
Our cancer nanomedicine and biology laboratory explores the mechanisms of cancer cell survival, tumorigenesis and tumor progression and is focused on identifying signaling pathways regulating proliferation, invasion, drug resistance, apoptosis and autophagy. These studies provide a rational and basis for the development of therapeutic applications using RNA-interference (siRNA and microRNA), oligonucleotides, (antisense), chemotherapeutic agents and small molecules in cancer and a wide variety of other diseases. Nanomedicine functions as a critical bridge that will connect basic science discoveries and clinical applications by enabling the development of highly effective targeted therapies utilizing nanoparticles that capable of delivering therapeutic payloads to disease sites and targeting identified molecular pathways.
Drug Delivery Systems
In addition to our focus on understanding complex biological networks and identifying novel molecular targets in various solid and hematological cancers, we develop novel drug-delivery systems including lipid-based (in other words, nanoliposomes), polymer-based particles (chitosan, PLA) for delivery of therapeutic agents to various solid tumors and hematological cancers . These nanocarriers are designed for the delivery of therapeutic agents to the tumor cells and microenvironment to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer agents and reduce their side effects, if there are any. However, on the developmental component we will further develop a dual assembly nano particle that is capable of sustained release of ncRNAs as well as amenable to targeting moiety assembly.
Our long-term goal is to develop clinically relevant, non-toxic, tumor-targeted nano-therapeutics agents that can be used translated into the clinic to improve the treatment options for the patients' therapy and further enhance efficacy of current regimens.