Nucleic Acid Nanotheranostics : Biomedical Applications

Nucleic Acid Nanotheranostics: Biomedical Applications offers a comprehensive overview of improvements and new trends in fabrication of nanostructures as theranostic multifunctional carriers in gene therapy. With a strong focus on medical applications (comprising diagnosis, therapy and imaging), the book also examines gene therapy in an individual patient’s cells or tissues to treat genetic diseases. Sections cover Biomedical and Diagnostic applications of Nucleic Acids, Biologic and Synthetic Advanced Nanostructures for nucleic acid delivery, and important considerations of nanomedicine. This book is a valuable guide for materials scientists, physicians, chemists and engineers, but is also ideal for clinicians wishing to expand their knowledge.

• Provides a unique source of knowledge (theoretical as well as practical) on nanotheranostic materials for gene therapy at all levels and related scientific areas
• Covers the pros and cons related to viral and nanomaterial-based delivery of nucleic acids in terms of biosafety, carrier selection, synthesis and bioimaging
• Presents the only book to include an analysis of nanoformulations approved for clinical use

Marco Filice is an associate researcher at the Dept. of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain), head of the ‘Nanobiotechnology for Life Sciences Group’ (UCM) and researcher at the Spanish Biomedical Network of Research in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) depending of the National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII, Spain). He graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology and obtained a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Pavia, Italy. Before joining the UCM, Dr Filice was associated researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) then principal scientist at AlphaSIP (a Spanish company focused on molecular biosensing) and, after that, independent Principal Investigator at Advanced Imaging Unit belonging to Spanish Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC).
His research work is mainly focused on the multidisciplinary-based design and creation of nanomaterials/biomacromolecules artificial hybrids showing highly improved or de novo biological properties. These highly engineered chimers are achieved by integrating a wide set of different disciplines such as surface and colloids chemistry, nanotechnology, bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry, enzymology, bioinformatics, biocatalysis, site-specific modification, oriented immobilization of biomacromolecules, molecular imaging or biochemistry. The as prepared artificial nanobiohybrids have shown a wide application scope mainly in advanced synthesis and catalysis, development of novel ultrasensitive molecular diagnostics and nanomedicine (theranosis of cardiovascular, pulmonary, cancer and immune-based diseases).

Jesús Ruiz-Cabello is Ikerbasque Professor and Research , head of the Molecular and Functional Biomarkers group of the CIC Biomagune in San Sebastian/Donostia, and Scientific Assistant Director of the Spanish Biomedical Network of Research in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) depending of the National Institute of Health Carlos III. He graduated in Chemistry from the University of Granada and obtained a doctorate in Physical Chemistry Pharmacy from the University of Madrid. Later he spent time at the National Institute of Health and Georgetown University after getting a Fulbright scholarship, at Johns Hopkins University as visiting researcher, and was the head of the Advanced Imaging Unit of the Spanish Cardiovascular Research Center in the period between 2012-2017. His fundamental research is the field of pulmonary and cardiovascular molecular and functional imaging. This research is directed towards biomarker (multimodality imaging, metabolic and different omics) search. He is co-author of over 180 articles and book chapters and co-inventor of six patents, four of them European, and he is the co-founding partner of a technology-based company Numio Technologies.