2024年7月24日下午，约翰斯·霍普金斯大学Efie Kokkoli教授应邀作为伟德源自英国始于1946“名师讲坛”嘉宾，为学院师生作了题为“Self-assembly of DNA and RNA nanotubes for selective targeting of different cancers”的精彩报告。本次报告由伟德源自英国始于1946李金波教授主持。李金波教授介绍了Efie Kokkoli教授的简历和成就，伟德源自英国始于1946经理黎书华教授向Efie Kokkoli教授颁发了“名师讲坛”纪念铭牌。公司多个学科的教师、员工参加了报告会。
Efie Kokkoli教授首先概述了核酸纳米颗粒体系的特点与优势，介绍了现有的构建策略。其中，两亲物自组装是一类便捷高效的技术。Efie Kokkoli教授为大家讲述了如何将该方法应用于ssDNA及anti-microRNA纳米管的自组装，并详细说明了核酸两亲物中各组分的功能与纳米管的生长机理。之后，Efie Kokkoli教授结合不同案例介绍了课题组对核酸纳米管的结构优化，展示了其良好的药物负载功能及治疗效果。结果显示，ssDNA纳米管可靶向癌细胞并用于递送不同种类的药物；anti-microRNA-21纳米管可高效减少癌细胞的侵袭，并促使巨噬细胞重新极化从而有助于抗肿瘤治疗。此外，二者均可成功穿越血脑屏障，对传统治疗手段预后并不理想的胶质母细胞瘤具有良好的治疗效果。
报告结束后，Efie Kokkoli教授同与会师生就自组装核酸纳米管对肿瘤位点的靶向能力，与传统核酸纳米颗粒的对比等问题进行了热烈的交流与讨论。
Efie Kokkoli教授简介：
Efie Kokkoli is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and acore member of theInstitute for NanoBioTechnology at Johns Hopkins University. She engineers innovative functionalized biomaterials and targeted nanoparticles for the delivery of therapeutics to help transform methods of cancer treatment. She received her Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and did her postdoc at the University of Minnesota and the University of California, Santa Barbara. External awards include the 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, NSF CAREER, and she was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows.