Co-led by Drs. Gang Zheng and Ur Metser, this core is focused on the development and implementation of novel nanoparticles and radiopharmaceuticals for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Nanotechnology is the technology executed on the scale of less than 100 nanometers. Therapeutic applications of nanotechnology include activatable photodynamic therapy for cancer treatments, where the agent is silenced in normal cells but are toxic to cancer cells expressing specific signatures. Nanoparticles not only have demonstrated the ability to improve drug efficacy by mimicking nature’s own nanoparticles but can be created to be a powerful and versatile biophotonic tool. Closing the gap between the fabrication of nanoparticles for preclinical research and the agents suitable for human trials will be the completion of the Nanomedicine Fabrication Center. The Cyclotron/Radiochemistry lab will be the breeding ground for new nuclear medicine tracers that can fully exploit the functional imaging capabilities of positron emission tomography (PET). This core will be on the forefront of personalized medicine.
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Faculty Members Associated with this Core
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Co-lead, Nanotechnology and Radiochemistry, Techna Institute; Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Dr. Metser graduated with his M.D. degree in 1991 from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel. He completed his residency training at the University of Tel Aviv and fellowships in Abdominal Imaging at the University of Toronto and Positron Emission Tomography at McMaster University. He is currently an Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Toronto and the clinical lead and corporate PET expert at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging (University Health Network, Mount Sinai Hospital and Women's College). He also serves as a clinical expert in Ontario’s Special Access PET Program and the Ontario Provincial PET Steering Committee, where evidence-based review of the literature and of ongoing provincial trials form the basis for new clinical indications for the provinces PET program. Dr. Metser's research focuses on clinical applications of functional imaging in oncology, fusion imaging (PET/CT and PET/MR), novel radiopharmaceuticals targeting tumors and multiparametric response assessment to therapy. He has published over 60 peer review publications, and book chapters and is a reviewer for a few of the field's leading medical journals. He is a member of the Radiological Society of North America, American Roentgen Ray Society, Society of Nuclear Medicine and is a Corresponding Fellow of the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology.
active 2 months, 1 week ago
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Co-lead, Nanotechnology and Radiochemistry, Techna Institute; Associate Professor, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Ontario Cancer Institute
Dr. Zheng completed his B.S in Hangzhou University in Hangzhou, China and his Ph.D at State University of New York. Dr. Zheng holds the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum/Brazilian Ball Chair in prostate cancer research.
Dr. Zheng''s research focus involves the creation of a unique organic nanoparticle delivery platform capable of transporting cancer therapeutics directly to tumours. This research earned Dr. Zheng UHN'’s 2010 Inventor of the Year Award. This award is presented to a UHN researcher who has made an outstanding and inventive contribution to patient-oriented biomedical research. Dr. Zheng also recently developed a new class of nanoparticles, called porphysomes, which convert light to heat in an energy efficient manner. When accumulated in tumours, porphysomes converted light from a laser and successfully destroyed the tumours through photoablation. His work has appeared in over 100 publications, including prestigious journals like Nature Materials and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
active 1 month, 1 week ago
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