BIOE Seminar Series: Novel Nanotechnology Solutions to Oncology Challenges
Friday, December 3, 2021
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
A. James Clark Hall, Room 2121
For More Information:
Huang Chiao (Joe) Huang
hchuang@umd.edu

Wenbin Lin
Departments of Chemistry and Radiation & Cellular Oncology
The University of Chicago

Novel Nanotechnology Solutions to Oncology Challenges

Liposomal nanoparticles have made important contributions to cancer therapy over the past several decades, but their limited tunability and stability hinder further progress in addressing unmet oncology needs. By harnessing the power of synthetic chemistry and nanotechnology, the Lin group has developed several novel classes of molecular nanomaterials, including nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) and nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (nMOFs) for effective cancer therapy. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts on designing NCPs and nMOFs containing multiple therapeutics or treatment modalities for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy of resistant cancers. These biodegradable molecular nanomaterials provide a nontoxic platform for the delivery of a wide range of potent anticancer drugs such as platins, taxanes, biologics, photosensitizers, and others to tumors. They carry high payloads of therapeutic cargoes and can be more efficiently delivered to tumors than current therapies, leading to reduced toxicity to normal cells and more potent antitumor efficacy. Clinical translation of representative systems will also be discussed.

About the Speaker
Dr. Wenbin Lin is the James Franck Professor of Chemistry, Radiation and Cellular Oncology, and the Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research. He is also a member of Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Chicago. Dr. Lin obtained his BS from the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, China and his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow with Professor Tobin J. Marks at Northwestern University. Dr. Lin’s research efforts focus on designing molecular materials for sustainability and human health, and has published close to 400 peer-reviewed articles. In particular, the Lin lab invented nanoscale metal-organic frameworks and nanoscale coordination polymers for biomedical applications over the past 15 years and four of these innovative nanomaterials are currently in clinical trials. He has been among the most cited chemists since 2014 and was selected as one of the top 10 chemists in the 1999-2009 decade based on per article citations. Dr. Lin is founder of two clinical stage biopharmaceutical companies and has received numerous professional honors for his contributions to functional molecular materials.