Samenvatting
Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases, with the number of patients worldwide increasing every year. Thanks to the widespread use of screening nowadays, diagnoses are being made more and more at an earlier stage. This results in a good long-term prognosis for patients, which in turn calls for therapies that are not only effective, but also ensure minimal side effects.
An ideal treatment would be a minimally invasive, real-time, image-guided intervention. To achieve this, scientists are committed to developing new materials at both molecular and nano levels. One of the promising strategies in this field is the design of theranostic agents, that is, materials that combine therapeutic and diagnostic components in one formulation.
This lecture will provide an overview of some promising nanotechnological concepts and demonstrate their potential in oncology.
Kristina Djanashvili has started her scientific carrier at Delft University of Technology as NMR researcher. After receiving of her PhD in chemistry in 2009 (Cum Laude and Delft Women in Science (DEWIS) award for the best female PhD candidate) in the field of MRI contrast agents, she continued her research as a member of the Department of Biotechnology of the same university.