Research Centers > Center for Cardiovascular Targeting

Professor Ban-An Khaw, Ph.D., Director
Behrakis Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 
The Center for Cardiovascular Targeting is devoted to the development of novel in vivo targeting approaches for diagnosis and therapy. The Center utilizes monoclonal antibodies, peptides and carbohydrates for non-invasive targeting of atherosclerotic lesions, myocardial necrosis, brain infarction and various tumors. With the help of these radiopharmaceutics, the Center is interested in developing more specific and efficient reagents, as well as use the existing tools to study the pathophysiology of various myocardial disorders, intravascular and extravascular cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis of various cardiovascular disorders, and tumors and targeted delivery of drugs by long circulatory liposomes. The Center is also involved in the elucidation of the role and evolutionary development of isoenzyme forms of cardiac myosin, the development of bifunctional and trifunctional immunoreagents to enhance targeted therapeutic applications such as targeted drug delivery and targeted drug release, and in vitro immunodiagnostic applications.

The Center is interested in the noninvasive imaging of atherosclerotic lesions which happen to be the most common cause cardiovascular morbidity in the United States (see image on right). An antibody specific for the proliferating smooth muscle cells of the human atherosclerotic plaque was standardized for imaging experimentally-induced atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits. The antibody after successful preclinical trials in Northeastern University is already being used for clinical studies in Italy and Spain.  The latest development at the center is the ability to visualize very small atherosclerotic lesions in vivo, using Bispecific antibodies targeted with very high specific-radioactivitiy nano-polymers.  This work is being undertaken in collaboration with Dr. Lynne Johnson from Columbia Medical Center, New York.

Imaging with technetium-99m labeled glucaric acid for very early diagnosis of breast tumors, acute cerebral strokes and acute myocardial infarction was also developed at the Center. After the initial laboratory investigations, this radiopharmaceutical has entered clinical studies with exciting results from Italy and has entered phase II trials in Canada.

Some other interesting experimental studies undertaken at the Center include the development of a method for cell membrane lesion sealing in cardiocytes to prevent cell death and preserve function.  This has been referred to a "Cellular Band-Aid".  The efficacy of this method for preservation has been demonstrated in cell cultures as well as with adult hearts. 

The Center for Cardiovascular Targeting has established an extensive collaborative network with the division of Nuclear Medicine, Heart Transplant Center, and Center for Imaging and Pharmaceutical Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; with the Department of Nuclear Cardiology at Columbia Medical Center, New York; with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Hospital Santa De Pau, Barcelona, Spain; with the Nuclear Medicine divisions at the University hospitals of Genoa, Pisa and Cesena, Italy; and Department of Cardiology, University of California at Irvine, CA. 

The Center has also inter-departmental collaborations. Dr. Robert Hanson, Professor of Chemistry is working with the Center to develop new and important radiolabeling techniques to enhance in vivo targeting. Collaboration also exists with the laboratory of Vlademir P. Torchillin, Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, where targeting the myocardium with antimyosin antibody for targeted drug delivery is being pursued.  The center also contributes to the Nano-medicine initiative at Northeastern University, under the leadership of Vice-Provost for Research, Srinivas Shridhar and Mansoor Amiji, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 
To achieve these goals, the Center for Cardiovascular Targeting utilizes hybridoma technology, molecular biology techniques, gamma imaging, macro- and micro-autoradiographic, as well as the standard immunological and biochemical techniques. The concept of learning from bench top laboratory experience to in vivo experimental studies is essential for those interested.