General Information

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky organizes an annual Symposium on Chemistry and Molecular Biology. This Symposium was established in honor of Anna S. Naff, a University of Kentucky graduate, through the generous support of Dr. Benton Naff of NIH. The Symposium has an interdisciplinary character and is attended by students and faculty from Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, Engineering, Agriculture and Medicine. The symposium is also attended by faculty and students from colleges and universities in Kentucky and the contiguous States.

The 2008 Naff Symposium
Inorganic Materials for Biomedical Imaging and Therapeutics
Friday, April 4, 2008
8:30 AM

Speakers

	Prof. Thomas J. Meade  Northwestern University "Seeing is Believing:  Biomedical Diagnostics of the 21st Century" Fundamental biological and clinical questions have driven technological advances in diagnostic techniques.  From ex vivo DNA chip-analysis, to in vivo molecular imaging, the last decade has seen significant and continuing advances.  We are developing new tools to investigate the correlation of molecular and developmental biological events in whole animals.  We have developed FDA-approved, hand-held, electronic DNA and protein biosensors that are comprised of iron and ruthenium complexes.  These reagentless devices are ideal for rapid, point-of-care diagnosis.  In vivo molecular imaging has profoundly changed our understanding of biological events.  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a powerful experimental and clinical tool, offers a non-invasive means to map structure and function by sampling the amount, flow or environment of water protons in vivo.  Intrinsic contrast can be augmented by the use of paramagnetic contrast agents.  MRI is non-invasive and yields a true volume rendering of the subject with nearly cellular resolution.  We directly observe developmental events in living embryos by labelling individual precursors with a microinjection of a stable, non-toxic, membrane impermeable MRI lineage tracer and tracking the descendants in an intact embryo.  Temporal analysis of high-resolution, three-dimensional MR images enables the reconstruction of the cell divisions and movements responsible for any particular descendant(s).  This technique allows the entire kinship relationships of a clone to be determined.  The full potential of this technique requires a highly efficient means of delivering charged MR contrast agents.  We have developed a library of molecular MR probes to elucidate signal transduction mechanisms of gene expression in whole animals.  The modulation of fast water exchange with the paramagnetic centers of lanthanide chelates is triggered in vivo by enzymatic processing of the contrast agent or the reversible binding of an intracellular messenger, yielding distinct "strong" and "weak" relaxivity states.
	Prof. Harry C. Dorn  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University "Endofullerenes:  New NanoProbes for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Medical Applications" The encapsulation of metals and non-metals in fullerenes (endofullerenes) is providing new vistas in medical research.  Endofullerenes, because of their shapes, capacity for multiple endo encapsulants, isolation from the bio-environment, and exo functionalizability, are ideal nano-constructs on which to engineer next generation diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical nanoprobes.  In our VT CNC laboratory, we have reported a family of very stable metal endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs), A3-xBxN@C80 (x = 0-3, A, B = metals) that are formed via a trimetallic  nitride  template (TNT) process.  To illustrate, recent in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated markedly enhanced ^1H MRI relaxivity (~2 orders of magnitude) for functionalized gadolinium EMFs in comparison with Gd-DTPA (Omniscan), a common commercially available clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent.  In this presentation, we will describe the preparation, characterization, and potential medical applications of these new TNT EMF diagnostic and therapeutic nanoprobes.
	Prof. Wenbin Lin  University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill "Developing Hybrid Nanomaterials for Biomedical Imaging and Cancer Therapy" Early diagnosis of diseases allows for more effective treatment, giving patients the greatest chance of survival and recovery.  By harnessing the power of synthetic inorganic chemistry with that of the latest nanoscience and nanotechnology, the Lin group has developed new hybrid nanomaterials for multimodal imaging.  These nanomaterials provide nontoxic and sensitive MRI and optical imaging probes for early and noninvasive detection of cancer and inflammatory arthritis in animal models, which potentially allows for the therapy to be initiated at the most treatable stage.  The Lin group is also extending this powerful synthetic strategy to developing hybrid nanoparticles containing potent anticancer drugs.  Such therapeutic nanomaterials can be selectively and more efficiently delivered to tumors than current chemotherapy, leading to reduced toxicity to normal cells and more effective cancer therapy.

The Symposium will be held in the Young Library Auditorium (directions).

A poster session will be held in conjunction with the Symposium. The poster session will be held in room 137 of the Chemistry-Physics Building at 11:30 am, after the morning session of the Symposium. Please send authors, title, and a brief abstract, by noon, March 21.

The symposium, poster session, and reception are free and open to the public. A buffet lunch will also be available from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm at a cost of $10 (only $5.00 for students). If you plan to attend the lunch, please register.

For more information, contact Prof. John P. Selegue at (859) 257-3484 or by e-mail.

Driving directions to the UK campus.

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This page was last updated January 7, 2008.