Title:

Strategies to sensitize tumors to radiation therapy using nanoparticles

Speaker:

Dr. Sunil Krishnan

Affiliation:

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

When:

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Boggs Building, Room 3-47

Host:

Dr. Sang Cho
scho@gatech.edu
5-1301

Abstract

This talk will highlight the potential for nanoparticles to augment the efficacy of radiation therapy by physical dose enhancement or via generation of mild temperature hyperthermia. Physical dose enhancement is achieved via an increase in photoelectric absorption due to the high atomic number (Z) of gold that accumulates preferentially within the tumor due to passive extravasation of nanoparticles through leaky tumor vasculature. Generation of hyperthermia, a known mechanism of radiation sensitization, using gold nanoparticles relies on the ability of colloidal gold to absorb and scatter light strongly at a characteristic wavelength (its plasmon resonance), the large absorption cross section of gold nanoparticles that converts light to heat, and their high thermal conductivity that couples this heat to the surrounding tissue.

Biography

Dr. Sunil Krishnan is currently an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC), Houston, Texas. Dr. Krishnan began his clinical/research career at UTMDACC in 2004 after receiving his radiation oncology residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He leads the gastrointestinal radiation oncology translational research program in image-guided therapy and has a diverse set of research programs on preclinical molecular imaging and image-guided interventions. This research has led to several clinical and research publications, a spectrum of clinical trials, a consortium of international collaborations, and peer-reviewed grants with academic and industry partners.