Mark E. Davis
Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Member, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Experimental Therapeutics Program; Member, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
Fighting Cancer with Nanoparticle Medicines: How Size Can Matter
For centuries, cancer has been one of the most devastating diseases. Papyrus writings from 1600-1500 BC describe cancer and attempts at its treatment. Today, the molecular basis of cancer is being unraveled, and therapeutics are being developed to take advantage of this increasing knowledge. One new class of experimental therapeutics involves the use of nanoparticles, where the control of size dramatically determines performance. Given the long history of difficulties in developing cancer therapies, are nanoparticle medicines (nanomedicines) worth the hype? I discuss the current understandings of why engineered nanoparticle medicines (that are highly multifunctional chemical systems) have the potential to provide “game changing” ways to treat cancer. I then illustrate the various features and potentials of nanoparticle medicines using two different nanoparticles that we have translated from laboratory curiosities into experimental therapeutics in human clinical trials. I conclude with our new approach to bring therapy safely into the brain using nanoparticles- 2019 International Zeolite Association – Donald Breck Award for the Most Significant Contribution to Molecular Sieve Science (first person to win the award twice)
- 2015 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
- 2014 2014 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research
- 2014 ACS – Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis
- 2011 Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
- 2010 University of Kentucky – Hall of Distinguished Alumni
- 2009 American Chemical Society – Elmer Gaden Award
- 2009 Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Kentucky
- 2008 AIChE – 100th Anniversary: named one of the “One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era”
- 2008 Elected into the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering (Real Academia de Ingenieria)
- 2006 National Academy of Sciences
- 2005 American Chemical Society – E.V. Murphree Award