Professor Low presents Hovde Distinguished Lecture on April 13

2023-03-22

Philip Low
Hovde Distinguished Lecture
Thursday, April 13, 2023
WTHR 104
4:30PM (Reception at 5:30PM in Leighty Commons)

"A New Generation of Targeted Therapies for Cancer, Autoimune, and Infectious Diseases"

Abstract:

We have developed methods to target drugs specifically to diseased cells, thereby avoiding collateral toxicity to healthy cells. To achieve this specificity, we have searched for targeting ligands that bind selectively to the pathologic cells and linked these to drugs that can treat or image the associated diseases. In the case of cancer, we initially exploited up-regulation of the folate receptor on ~40% of human cancers to target i) cytotoxic drugs, ii) protein toxins, iii) miRNA and siRNA constructs, iv) fluorescent dyes for fluorescence-guided surgery, v) radioimaging agents, vi) MRI contrast agents, vii) liposomes with entrapped drugs, viii) radiotherapeutic agents, ix) immunotherapeutic agents, and x) enzyme constructs for prodrug therapy to tumor masses. More recently, we have developed other targeting ligands for most other cancers and many other diseased cell types, including cells responsible for inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, atherosclerosis, Crohn’s disease, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.), viral infections (HIV, hepatitis B, influenza, etc.), fibrotic diseases (cirrhosis of the liver, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, etc.), inherited diseases (sickle cell disease, etc.), CNS diseases (Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, etc.), traumatized tissues. By concentrating the healing power only the cells that need it, we reduce/ eliminate off-target toxicity while improving on-target efficacy.