Symposium SB06-2D Materials for Theranostics

Nanomedicine in oncology potentiates great innovations, by the synergy of two or more forms of treatment and diagnostic techniques, aka theranostics. Specifically, two dimensional (2D) materials are considered as promising nanotheranostic tools since they can act as imaging agents for cancer detection/visualization with customized therapeutic properties and/or as vectors for controlled drug/gene release. They have outstanding properties, such as light weight, flexibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, highly efficient light absorption and high reactivity to high energy excitations. Hence, 2D materials enable the combination of multiple imaging modalities and therapeutic functions, such as passive/active targeting of tumors, and stimuli-responsive, controlled drug release, into a single nanoplatform. The symposium focuses on the state-of-the-art research of 2D materials in theranostics, extending to large-scale material production for biological applications, functionalization and conjugation, integration with other nanomaterials, applications to cancer treatment and other novel applications, such as anti-viral and anti-bacterial ones. The symposium addresses the fundamental principles of 2D materials; their interaction with biological systems, including safety assessment (a prerequisite for the successful translation to clinical research); their hazard potential, including the presence of endotoxins, bio-distribution, degradation and excretion from the body. Contributions on graphene-like (graphene, graphene oxide, boron nitride) and beyond-graphene materials, (transition metal dichalcogenides, MXenes, black phosphorus and more) will be considered.

Topics will include:

2D materials fabrication and properties (including large scale production)
Layered materials based nanostructures for bio-applications: quantum dots, nanoparticles, nanoflakes, etc.
Functionalization of 2D materials (including chemical conjugation)
Smart multi-functional 2D nanoplatforms and composites for theranostic applications
Single cell interactions
Nanotoxicology and biocompatibility
Degradation and excretion of 2D materials from the body
Cancer cell targeting with polymeric and bio inspired approaches
Drug and/or gene delivery
2D materials for Photo Thermal Therapy / Photo Dynamic Therapy (including ROS production)
Anti-viral and anti-bacterial applications
2D materials as radiosensitizing agents
Excitation with high energy particles (X-ray, gamma ray, electrons and protons)
Immunomodulation and nano-immunity
In vitro and in vivo imaging methods

Invited Speakers:

Christoffer Åberg (University of Groningen, Netherlands)
Francesco Bonaccorso (BeDimensional, Italy)
Mattia Bramini (Universidad de Granada, Spain)
Cinzia Casiraghi (The University of Manchester, United Kingdom)
Lucia Gemma Delogu (Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy)
Bengt Fadeel (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
Akhilesh Gaharwar (Texas A&M University, USA)
Robert Hurt (Brown University, USA)
David Leong (National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Xia Li (National Institute for Materials Science, Japan)
Cecilia Mattevi (Imperial College London, United Kingdom)
Giancarlo Salviati (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy)
Paolo Samori (Université de Strasbourg, France)
Avi Schroeder (Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Israel)
Zdenek Sofer (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic)
Michael Strano (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)