February BioMed/BioTech SIG Meeting  

"Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Carriers"

Presented by
Li Mu, MS, PhD
R&D Researcher, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, MD

"Nanomedicine - Clinical Applications and Challenges"

Presented by
Chiming Wei, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, FCCP, FAAN
President, American Academy of Nanomedicine

Thursday, February 5, 2009

6:00 PM - Networking and Pizza and soft drink with a door prize*
6:20 - 9:00 PM - Program
9:00 - 9:15 PM - Door-prize drawing and networking
* Open and free to the public

Location: Kelly's Deli Conference Center, 7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855

Registration: To Register for this event, please click here. 

For headcount purposes, please register by Thursday noon, February 5, 2009.  For registration problems or further information contact Dr. C.J. George Chang, Biomed/Biotech SIG Chair, at or call 240-793-8425.

Presentation Summary "Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Carriers" - A brief review on the advantages and stages of nanoparticle delivery systems and a detailed discussion on the preparation and characterization of nanoparticles by displaying some results of her research will be provided. A study about the interactions between nanoparticles and model cell membrane will also be introduced. Finally, a summary about the application of nanoparticles in many other areas will be presented.

Presenter Biography - Dr. Li Mu -  Dr. Li Mu is a native from China. She has worked in the area of nanotechnology in both industry and academic institute for the past decades. The projects she contributed include polymeric nanoparticles, micelle nanoparticles, and nano- liposomes. Dr. Mu is skillful in the design and optimization of nanoparticle formulations. She is familiar with the interpretation and operation of many kinds of analytical instruments used for the characterization of nanoparticles, including HPLC, FTIR, NMR, MS, UV, SEM, AFM, DSC, XPS, light scattering, etc.  Currently working at Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dr. Mu hold responsibilities that include setting up and optimizing nanoparticle liposome formulations for therapeutic DNA compounds. Prior to joining the Rexahn Pharmaceuticals at Rockville, MD, in 2006, Dr. Mu had worked as a postdoctoral at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Northeastern University in Boston. Dr. Mu earned her Medicinal Chemistry degree from China Pharmaceutical University. She spent years afterward conducting nanotechnology research in the National University of Singapore. She has been editors for a few nanotechnology journals. Dr. Mu�s career goals are to contribute to the discovery, development, analyses, regulatory review, and oversights for innovative therapeutics.

Presentation Summary "Clinical Applications of Nanomedicine" - Nanomedicine is the medical diagnosis, monitoring, and applying of treatment at the level of single molecules or molecular assemblies that provide structure, control, signals, homeostasis, and motility in living cells. It is a very important research direction to understand the cellular mechanisms in living cells and to develop advanced technologies for early diagnosis and early treatment of various diseases � at the nano level. Recent advanced research works demonstrated the developing of nanobiotechnology in real-time detections of living cell apoptosis, apoptosis signaling transduction pathways, mitochondrial damage in living cells. Moreover, nanobiosensors for early diagnosis of cancers and infection diseases were investigated. New nanomaterials were developed for controlling organ injury and bleeding, enhancing neural cell regeneration, and improving wound healing. The nano-genome sequencing system was developed for human genomic sequencing program. Therefore, the nanobiotechnology is expected to have many clinical applications in monitoring and treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Presentater Biography - Dr. Chiming Wei - Dr. Chiming Wei is the President of American Academy of Nanomedicine; Editor-in-Chief, NANOMEDICINE; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cardiothoracic-Renal Research; and the Director of Clinical Nanomedicine Research Program in Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes. Dr. Wei received his M.D. from Beijing Medical University in Beijing, China and his Ph.D. in biophysics and artificial heart research in Mie University School of Medicine in Mie, Japan. Dr. Wei performed his Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiology in Mayo Clinic, and molecular biological training in Harvard University. He was an Assistant Professor in Cardiology and Physiology in Mayo Clinic, an Associate Professor in Cardiovascular Surgery in University of Maryland School of Medicine. He discovered a new vasonatrain peptide (VNP) and received an American and International Patent in 1996. Dr. Wei�s research interests and focus are nanomedicine in clinical applications, oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage, and DNA repair during ischemia-reperfusion injury. He has received many external research funds include National Institute of Health, American Heart Association, American College of cardiology, American Society of Hypertension, and American Society of Nephrology. He published over 150 refereed papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters and one of them has been chosen as a key paper in heart failure research by American Heart Association. Dr. Wei has been appointed to be the reviewer of the NIH Grant Study Section for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine the Irish National Nature Science Foundation; he is an Over-Sea Reviewer of the Chinese Academy of Science and a Board Member of the Chinese National Key Grant on the Mechanisms of Heart-Brain Vascular Disease. Dr. Wei received many honors and awards from various organizations, including the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and American Society of Hypertension.

Driving directions to Kelly's Deli Conference Center: From I-270 (N or S bound):
Take Exit 9A and exit from the first right exit.
Turn left (east) onto Shady Grove Dr.
Turn right (south) onto Rockville Pike (Route 355).
Turn left (east) onto East Gude Dr.
Turn left (north) immediately onto Crabb's Branch Dr.
Turn left (west) immediately onto Standish Place.
(The first building on your right side is 7519 Standish Place; open parking)
The conference room is on the first floor with its entrance opposite to the left side of building main entrance.

*This event is co-sponsored by the American Academy of Nanomedicine (http://www.aananomed.org/).