Honggang Cui, Ph.D.

A Johns Hopkins University research team has developed a “drug-delivered-by-drug” hydrogel that combines the anticancer drug­­­ paclitaxel (PTX) and an anti-CD47 antibody (aCD47) in a solution that self-assembles into an anticancer gel that fills the tiny grooves left after a brain tumor is surgically removed. Tests in live mice showed that the chemoimmunotherapy aCD47/PF hydrogel suppressed tumor recurrence following resection of the tumor, leading to what the researchers stated as a “striking 100% survival rate.” The results, they suggest, offer hope for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most common brain tumors in humans.

The scientists, led by Honggang Cui, PhD, a Johns Hopkins University chemical and biomolecular engineer, suggest that the gel can also reach areas that might be missed during surgery, and which current drugs may not reach to kill remaining cancer cells and suppress tumor growth. “Despite recent technological advancements, there is a dire need for new treatment strategies,” said Cui. “We think this hydrogel will be the future and will supplement current treatments for brain cancer… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Honggang Cui, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

Dr. Cui was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “outstanding contributions to the development of drug-based supramolecular biomaterials.”