Presenter: Prof. Wei R. Chen, University of Central Oklahoma
Topic: Nanotechnology-based photoimmunotherapy for treatment of metastatic cancers
Time: 15:00 PM, Sep. 25th (Monday)
Location: 909-B
Abstract
Cancer has been a leading cause of death since the beginning of human history. Various therapies have been developed, yet cancer remains to be one of the biggest medical challenges for researchers and clinicians, largely due to tumor metastasis. To target the root cause of cancer, we developed laser immunotherapy (LIT). LIT uses the combination of local laser irradiation and immunotherapy to induce tumor-specific immune responses. In our pre-clinical and preliminary clinical studies, LIT is shown to be highly effective against metastatic tumors. The experimental results indicated a systemic, long-term anti-tumor immunological response induced by LIT, using the entire tumor cell as the sources of tumor antigens, based on the principle of in situ autologous whole-cell cancer vaccination. With our efforts during the past 20 years, LIT has been developed from a simple bench-top concept to a potential bedside clinical tool, with extremely promising outcomes in our preliminary clinical trials for melanoma and breast cancer patients. To further improve LIT, we developed nanotechnology-based novel photoimmunotherapy using immunologically modified nanotubes, with a novel immunoadjuvant as their effective surfactant. The modified nanotubes serves as a spatial-temporal continuum to provide synergistic, synchronized photothermal and immunological interactions, when administered to target tumors, followed by laser irradiation. This nanotechnology-based photoimmunotherapy has showed promise in treating metastatic tumors in animal models. This talk will introduce to the audience the development of LIT, its preliminary clinical results, and the development of nanotechnology-based photoimmunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic cancers.
Biography
Wei R. Chen received his BS in physics from Shandong University in China in 1982, and Ph.D. degree in theoretical high-energy physics from the University of Oregon in 1988. Currently he is Professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States. Dr. Chen’ s research focuses on cancer treatment. He is the co-inventor (awarded 5 US patents) of the novel treatment method for metastatic cancers-laser immunotherapy (LIT). Dr. Chen has an outstanding teaching career for more than 30 years. He received the 2008 US Professor of the Year award, the highest national award for excellence in teaching in the United States. He was the recipient of the 2011-2012 US Fulbright Lecturing / Research Award. He was the winner of the Medal for Excellence in Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, the highest teaching award in the State of Oklahoma. In 2012, Dr. Chen received the international recognition as the recipient of the SPIE Educator Award.
Contact: Prof. Zhuang Liu
Editor: Juan Yang