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dc.contributor.advisorAngela M. Belcher.en_US
dc.contributor.authorKohli, Aditya (Aditya Gobind)en_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biological Engineering.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-02-23T14:19:30Z
dc.date.available2011-02-23T14:19:30Z
dc.date.copyright2010en_US
dc.date.issued2010en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/61142
dc.descriptionThesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biological Engineering Division, 2010.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 58-63).en_US
dc.description.abstractMetastasis is a multistep process during which tumor cells separate from a primary tumor, penetrate the bloodstream, evade host defenses, and colonize distant organs. This final and fatal step in tumor development is the cause of more than 90% of cancer related deaths. Therapies and diagnostics can be targeted to metastasis at three points in its progression: the primary tumor, the secondary tumor, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). While much work has focused on primary tumors, less effort has concentrated on targeted isolation, detection and therapy of deeply penetrated metastases and CTCs. Here, I discuss cell and nanomaterial-based approaches for detecting and ablating these malignant populations. The number of CTCs in the blood directly correlates with disease progression; however, the lack of definitive markers has limited their isolation and characterization. I have demonstrated the potential use of platelets as a cell-based marker for isolation and detection of CTCs. Using phage display technology, it was possible to identify candidate peptides specific to mesenchymal-like tumor cells that may mimic the motile and aggressive CTC population. In order to detect and ablate metastases and CTCs, M13 bacteriophage was engineered into a platform for simultaneous tumor targeting, imaging, and therapy. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent, were loaded on phage for fluorescent near-infrared imaging and cytotoxicity of metastatic lesions, respectively. The near-infrared optical properties of SWNTs in the "second window" make them promising candidates for imaging nascent and deeply seeded tumors. This approach provides an 'all-in-one' platform for targeted fluorescence imaging and efficient drug delivery and may allow for real-time monitoring of tumor response to drug regimens.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Aditya Kohli.en_US
dc.format.extent63 p.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsMIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectBiological Engineering.en_US
dc.titleCell and nanomaterial-based approaches for diagnosis and chemotherapy of metastatic cancer cellsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeM.Eng.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
dc.identifier.oclc698091069en_US


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