Luby BM, Walsh, CD & Zheng G Angewandte Chemie, 2018 DOI: 10.1002/ange.201805246 Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinical treatment in which a light‐absorbing drug called a photosensitizer is combined with light and molecular oxygen to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen. PDT provides additional tissue selectivity versus conventional chemotherapy in that singletContinue Reading
Harmatys K, Chen J, Charron DM, MacLaughlin CM & Zheng G Angewandte Chemie, 2018 DOI: 10.1002/ange.201803535 Biomimetics are reconstructions of natural systems in engineered forms to exploit their structural or functional properties. Current biomimetics for medical applications use a single biomimetic approach to imitate natural structures, which can be insufficientContinue Reading
Charron DM & Zheng G Nano Today, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2017.12.006 Nano-bio interactions are dynamic, interrelated, and overwhelmingly influence nanomedicine efficacy. Molecular imaging techniques such as fluorescence are essential for illuminating the nano-bio interface to guide nanomedicine development. With advances in reliable labelling of nanoparticles with fluorophores, integrated Förster resonance energyContinue Reading
Pellow C, Goertz DE & Zheng G Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 2017 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1502 The development of encapsulated microbubbles (~1–6 μm) has expanded the utility of ultrasound from soft tissue anatomical imaging to not only functional intravascular imaging, but therapeutic interventions, with compelling studies of elicited biological effects. TheContinue Reading
Rajora MA, Lou JWH & Zheng G Chemical Society Reviews, 2017 DOI: 10.1039/C7CS00525C Porphyrins are organic heterocyclic macrocycles with photophysical properties well-suited for clinical phototherapy and cancer imaging. However, their wider application in the clinical management of disease is barred by poor aqueous solubility, bioavailability, tumour accumulation and skin phototoxicity.Continue Reading
Overchuk M & Zheng G Biomaterials, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.10.024 Despite rapid advancements in the field of nanotechnology, there is mounting frustration in the scientific community regarding the translational impact of nanomedicine. Modest therapeutic performance of FDA-approved nanomedicines combined with multiple disappointing clinical trials (such as phase III HEAT trial) haveContinue Reading
Colombo I, Overchuk M, Chen J, Reilly RM, Zheng G, Lheureux S Methods, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.07.018 Despite the significant advancement achieved in understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for cancer transformation and aberrant proliferation, leading to novel targeted cancer therapies, significant effort is still needed to “personalize” cancer treatment. Molecular imagingContinue Reading
Zhang CJ, Valic MS, Chen J, Zheng G STEM Fellowship Journal, 2017 DOI: 10.17975/sfj-2017-007 Porphysome nanoparticles are composed of porphyrin-conjugated lipids. The attachment of the porphyrin moiety to each phospholipid confers novel properties to the liposome-like nanoparticle, allowing it to perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The metalContinue Reading
Luby BM & Zheng G Angewandte Chemie, 2017 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201707366 MicroRNA detection is a valuable method for determining cell identity. Molecular beacons are elegant sensors that can transform intracellular microRNA concentration into a fluorescence intensity. While target binding enhances beacon fluorescence, the degree of enhancement is insufficient for demanding applications.Continue Reading
Colombo I, Overchuk M, Chen J, Reilly RM, Zheng G & Lheureux S Methods, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.07.018 Despite the significant advancement achieved in understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for cancer transformation and aberrant proliferation, leading to novel targeted cancer therapies, significant effort is still needed to “personalize” cancer treatment. MolecularContinue Reading
