Chemistry Departmental Seminar – Prof. Anna Schwendeman
About the event
Speaker: Anna Schwendeman, Ph. D., Willian I Higuchi Collegiate Professor of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biointerfaces Institute, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan
Title: Synthetic high density lipoproteins – nanomedicine and drug delivery carrier
Abstract: High density lipoprotein (HDL) is a nanoparticle (∼8-10 nm) composed of a lipid membrane bilayer wrapped around by a “belt” of amphipathic helices of Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I). HDL travels in directly interacts with macrophages in arterial plaques to efflux excess cholesterol and subsequently deliver it to the liver by a process of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Our research focus is on design of synthetic high density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles for treatment of cardiovascular disease. We discover novel ApoA-I mimetic peptides, explore biophysics of peptide-lipid interactions and optimize HDL compositions for interaction with specific cellular receptors, transporters and enzymes involved in RCT. We examine sHDL biodistribution, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic properties. The ability of synthetic HDL to inhibit inflammatory signaling is exploited to develop sHDL infusion therapy for treatment of sepsis. In addition, we take advantage of small size and clinical safety of sHDL to use is it platform for drugs and vaccines delivery. This talk will cover a personalized approach to cancer immunotherapy by improving delivery of tumor neoantigens to lymph nodes resulting in increased levels of antigen positive cytotoxic T cells, elimination of existing large tumors and development lasting protective immunity against tumor reoccurrence in animal models of colon cancer and melanoma.
Bio: Anna Schwendeman is the Willian I Higuchi Collegiate Professor of Pharmacy and a member of Biointerfaces Institute at the University of Michigan. Her research focus is on optimization high-density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles for treatment of atherosclerosis, sepsis and drug delivery purposes. In 2016, together with Dr. James Moon she co-founded a company EVOQ Therapeutics that used HDL for immunotherapy delivery. EVOQ completed partnership deals with Amgen and Gilead to develop drugs for autoimmune diseases valued at 240M and 650M, respectively. Prior to starting her academic career in 2012, Dr. Schwendeman spent 12 years in pharmaceutical industry at Cerenis Therapeutics, Pfizer, and Esperion Therapeutics. Esperion Therapeutics was acquired by Pfizer in 2004 for $1.3 billion. She was involved in discovery and translation of HDL drugs to Phase II clinical trials. Currently, Dr. Schwendeman is a co-director of the FDA funded Center for Research on Complex Generics.