Dr. Nie and his colleagues recently used bioconjugated quantum dots for the first time to simultaneously target and image prostate tumors in living mice. Bioconjugated dots are chemically linked to molecules such as antibodies, peptides, proteins or DNA and engineered to detect other molecules, such as those present on the surface of cancer cells.

Dr. Nie and his team will collaborate with cell biologists to study a variety of molecules involved in the development and progression of cancer, including those involved in programmed cell death; genes such as the p53 gene, which is implicated in many kinds of cancer; and microtubules and molecular motors, which are involved in transporting the proteins in cells that regulate cell growth.

"These grants serve to highlight the importance of the partnership between Emory University, Georgia Tech and the Georgia Cancer Coalition," said Jonathan Simons, MD, director of Emory's Winship Cancer Institute. "This partnership, which has been energized by the GCC Scholars program, has produced one of the premier cancer nanotechnology and bioengineering programs in the country."

"The NIH Roadmap Initiatives are designed to transform the nation's medical research capabilities," said Larry McIntire, PhD, chair of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. "Our well-established Emory/Georgia Tech partnerships in biomedical engineering will serve as an ideal research environment to transform nanotechnology from the laboratory into promising diagnostics and therapies for cancer patients." The Bioengineering Research Partnership includes faculty from the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory; Emory's Winship Cancer Ins
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Contact: Holly Korschun
hkorsch@emory.edu
404-727-3990
Emory University Health Sciences Center
6-Oct-2004