Associate professor Nazila Kamaly, Nanotech, Danish Technical University, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

Inflammation Resolving Polymeric Nanomedicines

Inflammation is an essential biological response that is required for tissue homeostasis after injury or infection. Chronic inflammation however is destructive, can lead to tissue damage, and is a hallmark of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of 40% of mortality and morbidity in Western Societies and the number one cause of death worldwide. Cardiovascular disease costs the European Union ~200 billion euros per year and new potential therapeutic targets in addressing this disease, and in particular atherosclerosis and underlying mechanisms are necessary. In particular, therapeutics, which can dampen inflammation and enhance resolution, and achieve this in a controlled manner with minimal host collateral damage are of considerable interest.

This talk will present investigations into the development of targeted anti-inflammatory controlled-release polymeric nanomedicines incorporating potent biologics for the treatment of atherosclerosis. These findings support the concept that defective inflammation resolution plays a role in these chronic conditions, suggesting a new form of therapy and shift in thinking from antagonistic to agonistic approaches for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The nanoengineering, characterization and in vivo biological investigations of polymeric nanoparticles containing a payload of biologic drugs including a potent biomimetic peptide and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 for the treatment of advanced atherosclerosis will be presented.

Host: Associate professor Alexander Zelikin, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University

Short bio:
Nazila Kamaly is currently an Associate Professor at DTU Nanotech where she joined in January 2016. Prior to this she was an Instructor in the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at Harvard Medical School (2013-2015). She was also a postdoctoral researcher within the same laboratory headed by Dr. Omid Farokhzad (2011-2013), and the Laboratory of Prof. Robert Langer at MIT (20112015), and also at Imperial College London (2007-2010).

She obtained her undergraduate/masters degree in Medicinal Chemistry from University College London (2002) and her PhD in Bioorganic Chemistry from Imperial College London (2008). Her research is highly multidisciplinary and involves the development of nanomedicines for drug delivery and imaging applications, in particular for atherosclerosis therapy. She was recently awarded a Lundbeck Fellowship (2016) to develop multifunctional nanomedicines for heart disease.