There has been tremendous recent interest in nanotechnology application for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. For many diseases, such as cancer, early diagnosis and overcoming biological barriers and target specific delivery are the key challenges. Additionally, newer generations of molecular therapies, such as gene therapy oligonucleotides and RNA interference, require robust and highly specific intracellular delivery strategies for effective therapeutic outcomes.

In this presentation, I will provide an overview of our work over a few years in nanotechnology for target specific delivery of drugs and genes. We have developed metal, polymer, and lipid-based nano-platforms for diagnosis and delivery of therapeutics and image contrast agents. Peptide-modified gold nanostructures were developed for early cancer detection. Using biodegradable polymers, we have formulated nanocarriers for systemic delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drugs and therapeutic genes. Additionally, we have developed nanoemulsions, using oils rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can facilitate drug delivery across different biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier.