Yupeng Chen,
Associate Professor,
University of Connecticut
Dr. Yupeng Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Connecticut. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and chemistry from Brown University. Dr. Chen has a long-term interest in designing and developing DNA-inspired Janus base nanomaterials for regenerative engineering applications. He is an inventor of 10 US patents and 14 international patents related to the Janus base nanotechnology. Some of these patents have been successfully licensed to industry. To date, Dr. Chen has published one book, nine book chapters and 63 peer-reviewed publications. He and his lab have delivered 107 conference presentations and invited talks. Dr. Chen is a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from NSF, the discovery award from DOD and the grand prize of the New Investigator Recognition Awards from the Orthopaedic Research Society (top one winner among 545 worldwide candidates). Dr. Chen has been elected as a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) as a recognition of his effort in translating scientific breakthroughs into real-life applications. Dr. Chen frequently serves as a reviewer on multiple NIH and NSF panels and conducts review and/or editorial work for 31 journals. Dr. Chen has received many competitive federal research grants from NIH, NSF, NASA, DOD and CASIS. Most recently, Dr. Chen has pushed the boundary of regenerative engineering research from Earth to space: Dr. Chen is funded to develop and evaluate Janus base nanomaterials on the International Space Station (ISS) for in-space tissue engineering, biofabrication, and biotherapeutics.
In-Space Produced Janus Base Nanomaterials for Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Solid Tumors
Thursday, 4 April 2024 at 09:30
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-04 09:30:002024-04-04 10:30:00Europe/LondonIn-Space Produced Janus Base Nanomaterials for Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Solid TumorsThe Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
There is a significant need for novel nanomaterials and their fabrication methods for emerging biomedical applications, such as drug and RNA delivery. Although lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been approved for RNA delivery, they exhibit unsatisfactory stability at ambient temperature and high liver accumulation, which limits their applications. To address these issues, we have successfully developed a new family of DNA-inspired Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs). These can form rod-shaped nanoparticles, which are slimmer than spherical LNPs, and successfully deliver therapeutic cargoes into “hard-to-penetrate” tissues, including articular cartilage and certain matrix-rich solid tumors. Our JBNs are formed through controlled self-assembly processes in water and remain stable at ambient temperature, both before and after cargo loading, making them highly suitable for in-space production. Preliminary results have demonstrated that JBNs can be successfully fabricated in space, where microgravity significantly enhances the self-assembly of JBNs, thereby improving drug loading and uniformity. This enhancement could enable maximum therapeutic efficacy with minimal toxicity. In summary, our in-space produced JBNs may offer a revolutionary strategy for RNA and drug delivery to “hard-to-penetrate” tissues, potentially treating diseases such as osteoarthritis and cancer.
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-03 00:00:002024-04-04 00:00:00Europe/LondonThe Space Summit 2024The Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-04 09:30:002024-04-04 10:30:00Europe/LondonIn-Space Produced Janus Base Nanomaterials for Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Solid TumorsThe Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
