Vladimir Torchilin

PhD

Director, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicine; University Distinguished Professor

Pharmaceutical Sciences


Specializations

Chemistry, Biochemistry, Bioorganic chemistry, Physiologically active compounds, and Experimental pharmacology

Research

This Center aims to host and coordinate research in pharmaceutical nanocarriers, controlled drug and gene delivery, drug targeting, intracellular targeting, experimental medical imaging, and cancer immunology, and train young researchers in these areas.

  1. Physiologically active polymers and their use as drug carriers. Polymeric drugs. Slow release systems. Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of slow release drugs.
  2. Various systems for controlled delivery of pharmaceuticals including macromolecular drugs, DNA, and imaging agents. Micellar solubilization of poorly soluble drugs.
  3. Targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents.  Tumor targeting and targeting within the cardiovascular system.
  4. Artificial phospholipid membranes. Liposomes, their physicochemical and biological properties. Long-circulating and polymer-modified liposomes as drug carriers. Mechanism of steric protection of liposomes with polyethylene glycol and other polymers. Immunoliposomes. Protein binding with liposomes.  Liposome-cell interactions. Pharmacokinetics of liposomes.
  5. Experimental diagnostic imaging. Contrast agents for gamma-imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Labeling of polymers, proteins (antibodies and their fragments), and microparticulates (liposomes, nanoparticles, micelles) with diagnostic metal isotopes. Chelating polymers for heavy loading antibodies with metal isotopes. Amphiphilic chelating polymers as key components of liposomal and micellar imaging agents.
  6. Experimental tumor immunology and therapy. Intratumoral delivery of drugs and imaging agents. Tumoricidal antibodies. Accumulation of long-circulating drugs in tumors.

Publications

V.P.Torchilin, A.N.Lukyanov, Z.Gao, B.Papahadjopoulos-Sternberg, Immunomicelles: Targeted pharmaceutical carriers for poorly soluble drugs, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100, 6039-6044, 2003.

V.P.Torchilin, L.Z.Iakoubov, Z.Estrov, Therapeutic potential of antinuclear autoantibodies in cancer, Cancer Therapy, 1, 179-190, 2003.

V.P.Torchilin, Targeted polymeric micelles for delivery of poorly soluble drugs, Cell. Molec. Life Sci., 61, 2549-2559, 2004.

V.P.Torchilin, Recent advances with liposomes as pharmaceutical carriers, Nature Rev. Drug Discov., 4, 145-160, 2005.

B.Gupta, T.Levchenko, V.P.Torchilin, Intracellular delivery of large molecules and small particles by cell-penetrating proteins and peptides, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev., 57, 637-651, 2005.

Website

Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicine