Lab of Cancer Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine

Research focus

Selective therapy remains a key issue for successful treatment in cancer therapy. Prolonged administration of effective concentrations of chemotherapeutic or anti-angiogenic agents is usually not possible because of dose-limiting systemic toxicities involving non-malignant tissues. Therefore, a constant effort has been the development of new drug delivery systems that mediate drug release selectively at the tumor site. Multimodality targeted nanomedicines offer the potential for improved efficacy and diminished toxicity. One way to achieve such selectivity is to activate a prodrug specifically by a confined enzymatic activity. In this concept, the enzyme is either expressed by the tumor cells or the tumor endothelial cells, or is brought to the tumor by a targeting moiety. The prodrug is converted to an active drug by the local or localized enzyme at the tumor site. Alternatively, the lower pH in the tumor microenvironment can be utilized for selectively activating a prodrug.

Laboratory services:

• Setting up murine models of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, osteosarcoma, brain tumors and melanoma for determination of tumor growth and metastasis: Tumor cell inoculation (subcutaneous, dermal, intracranial, intracardiac, intra-tibia, intra-mammary, pancreatic, adrenal gland, prostate), preparation of fluorescently-labeled and luciferase-expressing tumor cells.
• Imaging: Whole animal imaging (Maestro, IVIS, Biospace, US and CellVizio) and molecular imaging (Confocal).
• Motility, invasion, migration, adhesion and trans-endothelial migration assays, for determination of cell chemotaxis: Transwells and scratch assays.
• Transfection (siRNA and DNA) and infection of vectors to established cell lines.
• ELISA, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, Confocal microscopy, e.g. for determination of intracellular and extracellular factors.
• Flow cytometry and cell sorting, for determination of cell surface and intracellular molecules in cells.
• MTT proliferation and cell viability (coulter counter) assays.
• Immunochemistry staining of tumor biopsy sections of patients (H&E, CD31, apoptosis, proliferation, etc.).

Potential industries

1. Pharma

2. Biotech

Contact Information

Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Ph.D.

Head, Cancer Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine Laboratory,

Sackler Faculty of Medicine, , Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel

P. +972.3.6407427 (Office);+972.3.6408733 (Lab) |F. +972.3.6409113 |E.ronitsf@tauex.tau.ac.il ,
http://medicine.mytau.org/satchi-fainaro

Project manager

avi Wener
Research services

Project researchers

Ronit Satchi-Fainaro
T.A.U Tel Aviv University, Medicine-Sackler Faculty
Physiology and Pharmacology