Nanomedicine and Cardiovascular Disease

Date: 10/22/2010
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: 108G West Village
Speaker: Jason R. McCarthy, Ph.D., Center for Molecular Imaging Research and The Center for Systems Biology, MGH and Instructor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School

Abstract:

Nanomedicine has found broad applicability in the detection and treatment of cancers, yet has received minimal attention for cardiovascular applications. This is counterintuitive, as the plethora of vascular targets are much more accessible than those buried deep within a tumor. As well, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States, amounting to 1/3 of all deaths when stroke is included. Thus, interest in the development of nanomaterials for the detection and treatment of the sequelae of cardiovascular disease is expected to increase significantly. This talk will therefore focus on recent advances in the synthesis and applicability of nanomaterials for use in cardiovascular disease.