Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE)
The central goals of the NCI funded MIT-Harvard CCNE are to rapidly translate recent advances in nanotechnology for use in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and to develop the next generation of nanomaterials for this purpose. The application brings together a group of highly accomplished investigators at MIT and Harvard University with diverse expertise and an impressive record in developing novel nanomaterials, in translating specific nanomaterials for clinical use, and in exploring the basic mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis and metastasis. This program is under the leadership of Drs. Robert Langer and Ralph Weissleder and is associated with the MIT Center for Cancer Research and the Harvard Cancer Center. The CCNE interacts closely with many other Centers and Programs at MIT and Harvard.
The investigative team includes 5 innovative and applied Research Projects.
- Project 1 (Langer, Farokhzad) investigates novel nanoparticle-aptamer conjugates for improved targeting of prostate cancer.
- Project 2 (Sharp, Bhatia) develops new siRNA delivery and targeting strategies for use in treatment of lung cancers and glioblastoma.
- Project 3 (Weissleder) develops clinically viable, next generation magnetic nanoparticles for targeted multimodal imaging of cancer.
- Project 4 (Cima) harnesses unique miniaturized devices for molecular sensing.
- Project 5 (Bawendi, Belcher) develops and tests novel semiconductor nanocrystals for biomedical sensing.