Career snapshots

Nanotechnology The translation of -based therapies and products from the laboratory to the clinic requires a multidisciplinary approach. Our two interviewees this month discuss their roles in bringing together diverse groups of scientists to achieve this goal.

Following his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering institutions, and we have a formal and unique Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley partnership with the FDA on .” University Endowed (UC Berkeley), USA, Ferrari took faculty positions in Ferrari is also a tenured professor of Chair in Biomedical and engineering, as well as civil experimental therapeutics at the M.D. Engineering, Professor engineering, at UC Berkeley in 1991. His research Anderson Cancer Center, and an adjunct and Chair, Department interests expanded into bioengineering in 1994, professor of bioengineering at Rice University of Nanomedicine and and by 1996 he was a tenured faculty member and the University of Texas in Austin. For all of the Biomedical Engineering, and the director of the Biomedical Microdevices positions he has held and currently holds, Ferrari and Professor of Internal Medicine, Center at UC Berkeley. “I left UC Berkeley to has been driven by what he calls ‘medical pull’ The University of Texas Health Science become full professor of medicine and department — developing technological solutions by seeing Center, Houston, Texas, USA. director at (OSU), where I the unmet need from the medical perspective. also went to medical school,” says Ferrari. “Many technologists look for applications for the In September 2009, Mauro Ferrari became While at OSU, Ferrari also directed the technologies that they have developed, but this the founding chairman of the Department of development of the National Cancer Institute’s is rarely successful,” he explains. Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering funding programme for nanotechnology in With his interdisciplinary background, Ferrari (nBME) at the University of Texas Health Science cancer. “This launched in 2005 and is still the is well placed to drive the collaboration needed Center. This department brings together largest medical nanotech program in the world,” to translate nanomedicine from the laboratory researchers in nano-engineering, mathematical he says. In 2006, he moved to the University of into the clinic. “That is why I am now in Houston, modelling and biomedical sciences to develop Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where as the Texas Medical Center is number one nanotechnology-based therapeutics and he is today. “I run my research group (which in the USA and has many more clinical trials diagnostic platforms that address unmet with ~100 people is possibly the world’s largest than anyone — thus my choice, since I am medical needs. “The establishment of the research group in nanomedicine), chair the new translationally minded,” he says, adding that department in the medical school is a seminal nBME Department and am President of the bringing innovation to the clinic is a particularly transformation because it has allowed us Alliance for NanoHealth, which is basically a rewarding endeavour. “Of course, working with to be the very first university to integrate funding agency to foster the clinical translation tremendously talented young people and serving nanomedicine into the curriculum of medical of nanotechnology in Houston. We fund about 70 them in their career and interdisciplinary growth students,” says Ferrari. faculty members outside of my lab, from 8 member is very rewarding, as well.”

When he left the army, McNeil wondered how another. Nanotechnology allows us to engineer Scott E. McNeil, Ph.D. his experience in the seemingly unrelated fields around those previously disqualifying traits,” Director, Nanotechnology of cell and nanotechnology would come he says. “It is rewarding to know that several Characterization together in a viable career. Unexpectedly, he nanotech-based drugs we helped characterize Laboratory, National received a call from the National Cancer Institute are now being used in clinical trials.” Cancer Institute at at Frederick (NCI–Frederick) asking him to consult To address the challenges of characterizing Frederick, Maryland, USA. for them on the nanotechnology programme nanotechnology-based products, McNeil they were initiating. For 3 years he was Senior directs an interdisciplinary group that includes The Nanotechnology Characterization Scientist in the Nanotech Initiatives Division chemists, physicists and biologists from Laboratory (NCL) performs preclinical efficacy at Science Applications International Corp various backgrounds. A key issue was therefore and toxicity testing of . It is a (SAIC). NCI–Frederick is a government-owned, ensuring that laboratory meetings were national resource for cancer researchers who contractor-operated entity; SAIC at Frederick conducted in a common language. The benefits are developing intended operates its laboratories. of an interdisciplinary approach soon became for therapeutic or diagnostic applications. As a result of his experience at the SAIC, he was evident. “One of our sponsors had spent “We generate data in support of the chemistry, asked to establish and operate the NCL. “When I 3 years attempting to address a characterization manufacturing and controls, and pharmacology first heard that the NCI was using nanotechnology problem. I posed the problem to the NCL scientific and toxicology information sections of the for cancer therapy and diagnosis, I was quite staff and, using the team’s collaborative and sponsor’s investigative new drug application,” sceptical. But when I examined the data for myself interdisciplinary approach, we were able to says Scott McNeil, Director of the NCL. and could see that nanotech-based formulations quickly offer a validated method,” he says. McNeil’s career path to the NCL began with contributed to increased efficacy and decreased This kind of problem is now a daily challenge for a Ph.D. in cell biology from the Oregon Health toxicity, I knew that I wanted to be a part of that McNeil’s team. However, he says that the military Sciences University, USA, in 1997. Following his effort,” he explains. engrained in him the importance of ‘mission first’. Ph.D., McNeil took a position with the US Army, Now, McNeil enjoys translating nanotechnology- “Every day, this prioritizes our efforts here in the in which he had previously served as a means based particles developed by cancer researchers form of translational medicine.” to pay for his undergraduate degree. “I applied from the laboratory bench into clinical trials. my Ph.D. to help solve science problems for “The odds are against new compounds making it web site Career snapshots: http://www.nature.com/drugdisc/nj/ the military, which included nanotechnology into the clinic, as most new chemical entities are nj_dd_arch.html research,” he says. disqualified from clinical use for one reason or

nature reviews | Drug DiScovEry volume 8 | november 2009 | 911 © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved