Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Jaclyn Murton

Publication Date

5-1-2014

Abstract

The most common cause of cancer deaths among women is breast cancer. Current breast cancer chemotherapies rely on passive diffusion of the drug into the tumor interior, which leads to a sub-optimal drug concentration in some tumor regions. One important goal for cancer pharmaceutics is optimizing drug targeting to tumors. We propose to develop active drug delivery, mediated by the patient's immune cells. We hypothesize that circulating monocytes, known to infiltrate tumors, are effective biologically-active carriers of multifunctional nanoparticles. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MS) were isolated from the spleens of transgenic mice that are immunocompetent and spontaneously develop mammary tumors. We demonstrate that MS remain viable after being loaded with a nanoparticle cargo (protocells). The protocell biodistribution was assessed in vivo by radioimaging of tumor-bearing and normal mice injected with protocell-loaded MS, and demonstrated a preferential accumulation of protocells in tumor relative to normal mammary tissue.

Keywords

"Nanotherapeutics, Protocells, Monocytes, Macrophages"

Sponsors

University of New Mexico Cancer Center, University of New Mexico School of Medicine Research Allocation Committee, Department of Defense, Sandia National Laboratories

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Biomedical Sciences

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

First Committee Member (Chair)

Hathaway, Helen

Second Committee Member

Cannon, Judy

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