Translational Nanomedicine to Treat and Diagnose Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Ryan M. Williams, PhD
The City College of New York

Abstract: Clinically translational nanomaterials exhibit rationally-designed functionalities with applications including biosensing, imaging, and drug delivery. We have engineered an optical nanosensor plaƞorm that non-invasively quantifies protein biomarkers of both chronic inflammation and cancer in vivo. Using the fluorescent properties of single-walled carbon nano-tubes, we developed sensors with high affinity and specificity for various analytes of interest, demonstrating their use in vitro and in clinical specimens. We incorporated this sensor into an implantable device to detect ovarian cancer in live mice using near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy. In ongoing studies, we are developing novel methods of improving the specificity, sensitivity, and in vivo biocompatibility of these sensor tools. Separately, we developed a biodegradable polymeric mesoscale nanoparticle system that targets the kidneys with 26-fold specificity compared to other organs. When loaded with small molecule drugs, these nanoparticles are therapeutically efficacious against chemotherapy-induced acute kidney injury. We are currently working to adapt these particles to deliver a library of gene-targeting tools to reverse the progression of chronic renal disease. Together, these nanomaterials serve as plaƞorm technologies for the continued development of clinically translational tools for disease diagnostics and treatment.

Biography: Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in The City College of New York Grove School of Engineering. He was an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow at Memorial Sloan Ketering Cancer Center in the Cancer Nanomedicine Lab of Dr. Daniel Heller from 2013 until August 2019. Dr. Williams earned a PhD in  Pharmaceutical Sciences from West Virginia University in 2013 and a BA in Biology from the University of Virginia in 2008. At CCNY, Dr. Williams’ lab focuses on the design and characterization of nanotechnologies for implantable optical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery systems. The lab has been recognized for its work through an NIH NIGMS R35 MIRA award and an Oak Ridge Associated UniversiƟes Junior Faculty Award.