Title: Ligand-Directed therapy and molecular imaging based on in vivo phage display

Biography:

Renata Pasqualini received her PhD from the University of São Paulo, Brazil and completed her postdoctoral studies at Harvard University, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Burnham Institute. She is the Budke Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Translational Research and Chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Centre. She has published over 170 papers in top tier journals and has filed over 110 patents. She is an editor and reviewer for many journals, and serves on national and international review board. Today, Dr. Pasqualini is the Division Chief of the Division of Cancer Biology in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Abstract

We have developed in vivo phage display, a functional peptide and antibody screening established in animal models and later in patients. Isolation of homing ligands enables subsequent identification of tissue-specific receptors. Systematic implementation of this strategy will lead to the construction of a comprehensive map of vascular markers in each organ, tissue, or disease, and may result in a new pharmacology.