Cancer has been combated with chemotherapy, surgery and even
alternative treatment, such as acupuncture. Now, researchers at
UCLA will be using nanotechnology to take the fight to the
molecular level.
UCLA researchers received a $1.5 million grant to fund
nanotechnology research from the W.M. Keck Foundation, a
philanthropic organization that provides funds to universities in
science, medical and engineering research.
Dr. Leonard Rome, the principal investigator for this two-year
program and senior associate dean for research at the UCLA David
Geffen School of Medicine, played a large role in organizing the
interdisciplinary interaction of researchers from the Jonsson
Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Henry Samueli School of
Engineering and Applied Science, the W.M. Keck Proteomics Center
and the California NanoSystems Institute.
“What we need to do then is to bring these technologies
together to create a powerful system for analysis of complex solid
tumor biology,” said John Colicelli, a professor in the
biological chemistry department and one of the program’s
leaders.
Researchers from the fields of human genetics, biochemistry and
engineering will use tiny devices the size of a few nanometers to
find compounds that will interfere with cancerous cell growth.
The researchers will focus on epithelial cells ““ those
that form the body’s coverings and linings. Epithelial cell
cancers, including cancers of the prostate, breast and lung, are
among the most common and fatal.
The primary cancer to be studied in this program is pancreatic
cancer, a deadly cancer that affects 30,000 patients a year and
currently has no cure.
The Keck grant will contribute to improving laboratory
facilities, increasing the availability of equipment, and
developing new technologies.
Researchers in the program will be using three of the
nanoworld’s newest technologies: Quantum Dots, shape-encoded
particles and chemical genomics.
“The power of these new technologies is that it will allow
us to analyze many samples all at the same time ““ something
that was not possible before on this scale,” Colicelli
said.
Quantum Dots, also known as Q-Dots, will be used to gather tumor
cell data at the nano level.
“One can (use Q-Dots to) paint proteins inside a living
cell, and watch how they do their molecular dance in response to
different molecular queries,” said Shimon Weiss, a professor
in the chemistry and biochemistry department.
Before Q-Dots, cellular parts were inefficiently color-coded by
chemical and organic dyes that were faint and faded quickly.
Q-Dots tag proteins in a fluorescent color that does not
deteriorate or fade. This allows researchers to observe the
interaction of a large group of similar proteins all at the same
time.
After the data has been gathered, shape-encoded particle
technology allows increased efficiency in organizing and sorting
cancer data. Before shape encoding, there was no system to organize
data, and there was no efficient way to process information.
“We can encode thousands of (units of data) along the edge
of small silicon squares much like a bar code,” said Stanley
Nelson, a developer of this new technology and professor in the
human genetics department.
Then when this information is sorted, chemical genomics will be
used to identify and test small molecules that can block
undesirable cellular interactions involved in the development of
cancer.
The ultimate goal of the research is to develop these molecules
into drug candidates for cancer treatment.
“Hopefully by the end of this research, we will be able to
characterize the basic tumors better, and this will help to design
the best treatment for individual cancers,” Colicelli
said.