From Nano to 'Self' and Making Macrophages Eat Cancer: Engorge, Accumulate, and Differentiate
Event details
| Date | 27.03.2017 |
| Hour | 12:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Dennis Discher, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (USA) |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
From viruses to tissue matrices, biology is filled with remarkable polymeric structures that motivate mimicry with goals of both clarifying and exploiting biological principles. Filamentous viruses inspired our development and computations of worm-like, flexible polymer micelles – ‘filomicelles’ – that reveal non-spherical nano-therapeutics can persist in the circulation and deliver even better than spheres [Geng Nat Nanotech 2007]. However, particles, implants, and cells of any type interact with the innate immune system, especially phagocytes that try to ‘eat’ everything. At the same time, ‘Self’ cells are spared due to a polypeptide found on all cells that marks cells (as well as engineered viruses and particles) as ‘Self’, limiting their phagocytic clearance in vitro and in vivo [Rodriguez Science 2013]. The phagocyte’s cytoskeleton drives the decision downstream of adhesion. If a macrophage is engineered to not recognize ‘Self’ and then injected to attack tumors, its further interactions with the surrounding tissue can influence its differentiation. Matrix elasticity is one physical feature that directs stem cell fate [Engler Cell 2006; Swift Science 2013] and reflects the fact that tissues can be very soft like fat and brain, or increasingly stiff like striated muscle and rigid like bone. What unifies these mechanisms of immune or matrix recognition is a convergence of decision-making pathways on cytoskeletal force generation.
Bio:
Post-doc (1996) University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada; D.H. Boal and E.A. Evans, advisers; Fellow in Statistical Biophysics
Ph.D. (1993) University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco, California; N. Mohandas, adviser; Thesis in Cell Membrane Biophysics
B.S. Highest Honors (1986) University of California, Davis; studies in Engineering, Physics, & Biochemistry
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
From viruses to tissue matrices, biology is filled with remarkable polymeric structures that motivate mimicry with goals of both clarifying and exploiting biological principles. Filamentous viruses inspired our development and computations of worm-like, flexible polymer micelles – ‘filomicelles’ – that reveal non-spherical nano-therapeutics can persist in the circulation and deliver even better than spheres [Geng Nat Nanotech 2007]. However, particles, implants, and cells of any type interact with the innate immune system, especially phagocytes that try to ‘eat’ everything. At the same time, ‘Self’ cells are spared due to a polypeptide found on all cells that marks cells (as well as engineered viruses and particles) as ‘Self’, limiting their phagocytic clearance in vitro and in vivo [Rodriguez Science 2013]. The phagocyte’s cytoskeleton drives the decision downstream of adhesion. If a macrophage is engineered to not recognize ‘Self’ and then injected to attack tumors, its further interactions with the surrounding tissue can influence its differentiation. Matrix elasticity is one physical feature that directs stem cell fate [Engler Cell 2006; Swift Science 2013] and reflects the fact that tissues can be very soft like fat and brain, or increasingly stiff like striated muscle and rigid like bone. What unifies these mechanisms of immune or matrix recognition is a convergence of decision-making pathways on cytoskeletal force generation.
Bio:
Post-doc (1996) University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada; D.H. Boal and E.A. Evans, advisers; Fellow in Statistical Biophysics
Ph.D. (1993) University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco, California; N. Mohandas, adviser; Thesis in Cell Membrane Biophysics
B.S. Highest Honors (1986) University of California, Davis; studies in Engineering, Physics, & Biochemistry
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
Contact
- Institute of Bioengineering (IBI, Christina Mattsson)