Qingxin Mu

At BrYet, I'm responsible for the design and execution of preclinical programs supporting the company’s research and development efforts based on its innovative nanoporous silicon microparticle and phenotype targeting platform.

This courtesy appointment allows me to serve on the thesis reading committees of MS and PhD students in the UW Pharmaceutics graduate program, and to contribute to didactic teaching of undergraduate and graduate students in drug delivery and formulation.

Research Interests: Development of advanced combination therapeutic delivery approaches; Translational investigations of drug combination nanoparticles for metastatic cancer treatment; Nanoformulation-biological system interactions. Teaching of PharmD & PhD/MS courses; mentorship of graduate & undergraduate students; PI of NCI R21; NIH Ad Hoc reviewer of study sections BBBT-10 & CDPT-12 & ATA; peer-reviewed journal reviewer/editorial board member

Lipid nanoparticle-based anti-virus and anti-cancer drug delivery systems. Formulation optimization and characterization. Scale up of nanoparticle formulations. Lipid/drug spray drying and size reduction homogenization. In vitro and in vivo biological evaluations. Mouse cancer models and PKPD. Tumor targeting.

• Key achievements include: Paclitaxel conjugated chitosan nanoparticles for treatment of breast cancer; Doxorubicin and Poly IC-conjugated targeting nanoparticles for metastatic breast cancer chemo-immunotherapy; Doxorubicin loaded and ligand-conjugated nanoparticles for cancer chemo-photothermotherapy; Anti-CD20 mAb and Doxorubicin conjugated nanoparticles for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; Paclitaxel loaded and ligand-conjugated nanoparticles for treatment of HER2+ breast cancer; Methotrexate-conjugated nanoparticles for treatment of breast cancer; Paclitaxel and chlorotoxin-conjugated nanoparticles for treatment of glioblastoma; Temozolomide and chlorotoxin-conjugated nanoparticles for treatment of glioblastoma; Gemcitabine and chlorotoxin-conjugated nanoparticles for treatment of glioblastoma. • Key duties include: Preparations of polymer nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, liposomes and gold nanoparticles; conjugation of targeting peptides, drugs/genes and imaging molecules onto nanoparticles using crosslinking chemistry; characterization of nanoparticles using TEM, FTIR, NMR, DLS and HPLC-MS; cellular evaluation using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and viability assays; PCR/Western and ELISA assays; live animal imaging in xenograft tumor models using IVIS system; Immunohistochemistry; tail vein injections. Other activities include: Supervision of junior researchers, preparation of manuscripts and grants, collaboration with different resources in UW for materials characterizations, chemical characterizations, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies.

Affiliated.

• Key achievements include: Doxorubicin liposomes and conjugation of anti-EGFR antibody (Cetuximab); Liposomal formulation of cisplatin-peptide conjugates; Cetuximab-cisplatin conjugate for treatment of head and neck cancer; Development of platinum-peptide conjugates for treatment of head and neck cancer; Expression of epidermal growth factor in E. coli and binding of Cisplatin; Engineering of MAP-modified epidermal growth factor (EGF) proteins. • Key expertise include: protein expression, purification and analysis, liposome preparation and drug encapsulation; cellular uptake and cell viability analysis. • Other duties include: Supervision of junior researchers, preparation of manuscripts, collaboration with different resources in KU for materials characterizations, chemical characterizations, and in vitro pharmacological studies.

• Carbon nanotube-receptor interactions in suppression of human bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. • Cell uptake mechanistic study of protein-coated graphene oxide nanosheets using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and pharmacological approaches. • High-throughput screening of protein binding of carbon nanotube library using fluorescence spectroscopy.

• Identification of human BMP signaling suppression by carbon nanotubes using genomic transcriptional analysis, PCR, and western blotting analyses. • Cell uptake mechanistic study of carbon nanotubes using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. • High-throughput evaluation of protein binding of a surface-modified carbon nanotube combinatorial library using fluorescence spectroscopy. • Characterization of protein binding of magnetic nanoparticles using gel electrophoresis and their dynamic interactions with human cells using a real time electronic sensing approach. • Biodistribution of magnetic nanoparticles in mice by iron content analysis.

• Real time and quantitative monitoring of binding kinetics between nanoparticles and proteins using quartz crystal microbalance technology (QCM). • Investigation of interactions between functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and proteins using spectroscopic methods (UV-vis, steady-state fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, circular dichroism). • Detection of plasma protein binding of quantum dots using gel electrophoresis and fluorescence polarization spectroscopy.