Speaker: Prof. Maxim Berezovski, Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa

Title: Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy with DNA Aptamer Nanotechnology

Abstract:

In the presentation, Dr. Berezovski shows how cancer-specific DNA aptamers can be developed and applied for tumor localization, margin assessment, circulating tumor cell detection, and adjuvant treatment of cancer. He presents several new aptamer nanotechnologies like Aptamer-assisted Fluorescence-Guided Surgery (AptaFGS) and Aptamer-guided MagnetoDynamic cell disruption (AptaMD). In ApaFGS, a tumor-specific aptamer spray is formulated and applied for glioblastoma neurosurgery. The procedure does not require systematic administration of the drug into the circulatory system and involves a few simple steps with no waiting time after the spray application. These bring significant help for a surgeon who needs to distinguish tumors and healthy tissues during surgery. In AptaMD, aptamer-modified gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles are exposed to an alternating magnetic field to destroy tumor sites selectively. The magnetic field of a low frequency causes the nanoparticles to oscillate and kill cancer cells without additional heating of the tumor and saving adjacent healthy cells and tissues. Berezovski’s study demonstrates the power of synthetic affinity ligands targeting tumors and supplies new opportunities for intraoperative tumor imaging and postoperative eradication of cancer cells. The presentation is to the broad audience in chemical biology, cancer biology, pathology and medicine.

Maxim V. Berezovski is a Full Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry at the University of Ottawa in Canada. He received an MSc in Biochemistry from Novosibirsk State University (Russia, 1994) and a Ph.D. from York University (Canada, 2005) and did an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto (Canada). Before going to academia, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry as CEO for six years. Now, Maxim leads the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and supervises the Proteomic Mass Spectrometry Core Facility at uOttawa. His research focuses on bioanalytical chemistry, biological mass spectrometry, and molecular diagnostics. He develops analytical methods for studying biomolecular interactions with capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, discovers protein biomarkers of extracellular vesicles, and makes aptamer-based sensors for tumour cells, viruses, and exosomes. Prof. Berezovski published over 113 articles, 5 book chapters, and 3 patents (h-index 44). For many years, he has served as a Section Editor for Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy), Subject Editor for Analytical and Biomolecular Chemistry at FACETS (Canadian Publishing Group) and Editor for Cancers (MDPI) and Scientific Reports (Nature Research Journal). Maxim holds multiple awards: a Visiting Professorship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, a Young Researcher of the Year Award (uOttawa) and an Early Research Award (Province of Ontario). Dr. Berezovski obtained >$8 mln of research funding.