T.J. Thomas
Professor

Bionanotechnology and development of gene delivery vehicles. polyamine-DNA interactions. triplex DNA. gene therapy for breast cancer

The major focus of the Thomas Laboratory is to develop novel DNA delivery vehicles for gene therapy. The current focus is on breast cancer. although the technological developments in this area can be utilized for other forms of cancer. cardiovascular diseases. and autoimmunity. Gene therapy demands the facile transport of oligonucleotides and plasmid DNA through the cell membrane; however. DNA transport occurs through an inefficient process. the mechanism of which is largely unknown. Our approach is to develop agents that can condense DNA to nanoparticles in order to facilitate the transport of DNA. During the development of DNA condensation agents. we are also advancing the development of bionanotechnology as a means of targeted drug delivery.

The second focus of our research is to develop gene targeted therapeutic approaches using oligonucleotides. Research in progress utilizes anti-gene and antisense oligonucleotides for breast cancer. targeting the HER-2. c-myc. and cyclin D1 genes that are overexpressed in subsets of breast tumors. Cell culture and animal models of breast cancer have been used in our investigation.

View Dr. Thomas' publications in Pub Med