Hening Wang PhD Proposal Presentation Beijing time : 9:30 am November 14th, 2014 Location at Beijing: Wangkezhen building, meeting room 906 Atlanta time : 8:30 p m November 13th, 2014 Location at GT:TBD Advisor: Qiushi Ren, PhD (Peking University,BME) Coadvisor : Shuming Nie, PhD (Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology,BME) Committee: Changhui Li, PhD (PKU, BME) Kuangshi Chen, PhD (PKU, BME) Mingyuan Gao, PhD ( Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences) Cancer Nanotechnology: Development of Polymer-Coated Nanoparticle for Cancer Diagnosis and Imaging ABSTRACT Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the world. Significant progress has been made in the treatment and management of cancer. Yet, the major challenges remain because of the complexity nature of the disease. The improvement in survival rates not only relies on treatment, but also in early stage detection and diagnostics for certain cancers. Nanometer-sized particles have intrinsic optical, electronic, and structural properties thus provide advanced technology platforms for ultrasensitive and multiplexed detection of disease markers on the molecular level. However, high quality nanoparticles are often unsuited for use in complex biological environments because of their coatings and surface chemistry. Here, we propose to design and develop novel biocompatible Hyaluronic acid polymer coated nanoparticles for cancer targeted imaging applications. This goal will be accomplished through (1) synthesis and characterization of the Hyaluronic acid polymer coated nanoparticles; (2) in vitro cellular toxicity and targeting studies in cancer cell lines overexpressing the CD44 receptor; and (3) in vivo investigation in the nude mouse xenograft model and subsequent analysis of the effects on the tumor. The application of these nanoparticles can be extended to design multifunctional nanostructures and will have a significant impact on cancer diagnostics, molecular profiling, and the integration of cancer therapy and imaging.