Research areas
We develop precision targeting technologies that enable drugs, biologics, and nanoparticles to home to diseased tissues with high specificity. By combining in vivo phage display, peptide engineering, nanomedicine, and advanced proteomics, our research uncovers molecular entry points into tumors and other pathological tissues.
Phage display technology development
We advance in vivo peptide phage display methods to discover novel ligands that target disease tissues. Our work includes the development of next-generation selection strategies and the use of AI-assisted analysis of large phage biopanning datasets to uncover disease-selective peptides with higher precision and efficiency.
- New Tools for Streamlined In Vivo Homing Peptide Identification, Methods Mol Biol, 2022
- In vivo phage display: identification of organ-specific peptides using deep sequencing and differential profiling across tissues, Nucleic Acids Res, 2021
- Screening of homing and tissue-penetrating peptides by microdialysis and in vivo phage display, Life Sci Alliance, 2025
Tumor-homing peptides and vascular ZIP codes
We focus on the discovery of homing peptides that selectively recognize disease-associated vasculature. By mapping vascular heterogeneity in cancer and other pathologies, we aim to define molecular “ZIP codes” of tissues. This knowledge allows us to design precision targeting strategies for diagnostics and therapeutics.
- Peptide-targeted nanoparticles for tumor therapy, J Control Release, 2025
- Advancing Cancer-Targeted Nanotherapies with Tumor Homing Peptides, ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci, 2025
Affinity-targeted nanoparticles
Using homing peptides as targeting ligands, we engineer nanoparticles that deliver drugs directly to diseased tissues. These peptide-guided nanoparticles are optimized for improved tumor penetration, retention, and therapeutic performance, with the ultimate goal of creating safer and more effective cancer therapies.
- LinTT1-Functionalized Hybrid Lipid-Polymer Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Targeting, ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci, 2025
- Targeting vascular disrupting agent-treated tumor microenvironment with tissue-penetrating nanotherapy, Sci Rep, 2024
- Targeting of Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus with a Genetically Fused C-End Rule Peptide, Nanomaterials (Basel), 2023
- Paclitaxel-Loaded Cationic Fluid Lipid Nanodiscs and Liposomes with Brush-Conformation PEG Chains Penetrate Breast Tumors and Trigger Caspase-3 Activation, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2022
Crossing biological barriers with homing peptides
We identify and validate peptides that can cross otherwise impermeable barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier. These peptides enable delivery of drugs and biologics into the central nervous system. Applications include enzyme replacement and protein therapies for lysosomal storage and other neurological disorders.
- Brain Targeting Nanomedicines: Pitfalls and Promise, Int J Nanomedicine, 2024
- Mechanisms and Barriers in Nanomedicine: Progress in the Field and Future Directions, ACS Nano, 2024
- C-end rule peptides mediate neuropilin-1-dependent cell, vascular, and tissue penetration, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009
Advanced proteomics and receptor identification
To understand how homing peptides interact with tissues, we develop state-of-the-art proteomics-based tools to identify their binding receptors. These tools allow us to decode the molecular mechanisms underlying peptide-tissue interactions, providing critical insights for the rational design of targeted therapeutics.