“Synthesis and application of nanomaterials in nanomedicine“
Léonard Atanase
Lundi 3 juillet 2023 – 15 h 30
Sorbonne Université
Campus Jussieu
Room 522, T43-53
Abstract
Most drugs are low molecular weight compounds which can easily penetrate any type of cell and can be easily removed from the body. Consequently, their administration in a free form has the effect of continuously changing their concentration in the body. Thus, immediately after administration, the concentration of the drug may exceed that corresponding to the therapeutic range, so it may become toxic to the body.
Nowadays, an important problem is the increase in the effectiveness of treatments, as well as the elimination of unwanted side effects of drugs, determined either by overdoses or, especially in the case of antitumor drugs, by their aggressiveness towards vis-à-vis not only tumoral cells, but also healthy cells. This problem can be solved in two ways:
– the synthesis of new drugs, more selective, with minimal side effects, among which those with a heterocyclic structure occupy a very important place;
– the realization of systems with controlled/sustained release of drugs, by their association with polymers.
The association of a drug with a polymer has, however, several goals:
– the controlled/sustained release of the biologically active principle over time, resulting in an increase in its duration of action in the body
– the constant maintenance of the concentration of the drug at the therapeutic level, avoiding an increase in the toxic range
– the orientation of the drug towards the “target”, a situation which arises when the polymer acts as a vector of the drug towards the site of the affection.
In this presentation, several types of drug-loaded nanomaterials will be presented in order to demonstrate the practical application of these systems in nanomedicine.
CV
Professor Leonard Atanase studied macromolecular chemistry at the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania. During his university studies, he received a three-month Erasmus scholarship at the University of Marseille, France. This first contact with French culture encouraged him to return in 2005 to pursue a master’s degree at the National School of Chemistry in Mulhouse, France, under the direction of Pr. Gérard Riess. Still under the direction of Pr. Riess, he continued his doctoral studies and in 2010 obtained his doctorate in materials chemistry at the University of Haute Alsace in Mulhouse. Until 2014, he continued his research, at the same university in France, as a university researcher, in the field of biocompatible polymers and emulsions with biomedical applications. From 2014 to 2015, he worked in the field of nanoemulsions with cosmetic applications at the University of Pau, France, in collaboration with Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), a subsidiary of Dior.
At the beginning of 2016, he returned to Romania, to the “Apollonia” University of Iași, and the experience acquired during the almost 10 years spent in France allowed him to obtain the title of full professor in 2017. Until May 2023 it was the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine at “Apollonia” University in Iasi. Currently it is the coordinator of the Biomaterials Laboratory. In addition, he is an associate member of the Romanian Academy of Scientists and a member of the national body of experts in the field of functional materials. Moreover, he has been a visiting professor at several universities in France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Iceland, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Mauritius, Maldives, Brazil, etc…
Even if the administrative tasks are very time-consuming, Professor Atanase has not neglected his “first love”, namely research in the field of polymers for biomedical applications. He has been director of several national and international research projects. He has published over 60 ISI papers, has over 150 national and international conference appearances and his Hirsch Factor is 21.
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