Nanomedicine
Despite many advances in targeted therapeutics and diagnostics, there is still a need for specific, effective therapies without side effects and mechanisms for early detection that ensure therapies have the best opportunity to be timely and effective

Empowering The
Immune System
Combatting disease with novel nanoimmunotherapeutics
that target trained immunity
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Trained immunity, a de facto innate immune memory, describes the process by which innate immune system activation results in enhanced responsiveness to subsequent triggers. Trained immunity naturally occurs through mechanistic epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of innate immune cells. Our research focuses on how this immunological phenomenon can be purposefully induced or downregulated using our novel nanoimmunotherapeutics, as an approach to treating maladies including cancer, bacterial/viral infection, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, and allograft rejection in organ transplantation. Through widespread collaboration with other leading researchers in the cutting-edge field of trained immunity, we continue to explore therapy regimens in which our nanoimmunotherapeutics can lead to improved clinical outcomes.
Chemical Engineering Of Nanomaterials
Designing and producing libraries of
highly biocompatible nanomaterials
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Design, synthesis, and characterization of our nanomaterials is the cornerstone of our research, group, and mission. Our lab has its origin story deeply intertwined with the field of nanomedicine, and we’re proud of the contributions we’ve made towards pioneering its application for immunotherapy. Our designs include but are not limited to apoA-1-based nanobiologics, nanoemulsions, liposomes, drug-loaded block-copolymer micelles, and nanocrystal-core lipoproteins. We have established a nanobiologic library, which is used to develop tailored immunotherapeutics for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and transplantation. Furthermore, with our in-house radiochemistry suite, we are able to perform radiolabeling of our nano-platforms, enabling non-invasive tracking and tracing of our nanomaterials.
Cardiovascular
Nanoimmunotherapy
Immunomodulation therapies to tackle the
most prominent range of clinical ailments
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Atherosclerosis, a chronic disease of the large arteries, is one key underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Driven by cholesterol accumulation and subsequent inflammation in the vessel wall, atherosclerosis has historically been clinically treated by lipid-lowering treatments but remains a major threat to human health worldwide. Over the past 20 years, insights into cardiovascular immunopathology have opened up a range of potential therapeutic targets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, which has shifted the focus from lipids to inflammation. Our lab has pioneered nanotechnology approaches to facilitate the specific targeting of innate immune cells. With continued research efforts focusing on this crucial and promising field, we believe our approaches can generate more effective immunomodulatory treatments to induce disease regression and prevent the recurrence of cardiovascular events.
Bridging the translational gap
In addition to mouse models, we focus strongly on translational research in large animals
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While hundreds of nanomedicine studies are produced every year, very few formulations are clinically approved. This is partly due to an undue reliance on murine studies, which suffer from limited value in accurately predicting translational efficacy in humans. To combat this experimental hindrance, our lab established a translational nanomedicine program with large animal models, ranging from rabbits to swine to non-human primates. It involves scaling up production and testing while in the preclinical phase, which provides a unique framework in preparing for clinical studies. In combination with access to clinical scanners through the BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, we have the unique privilege to study our therapies and probes in large animal models while performing imaging studies using some of the most advanced multimodality systems available.
Message From The Lab Director
Willem J Mulder, PhD
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I started working in the field of nanomedicine as a chemistry student in The Netherlands, roughly twenty years ago. Since then, I have been captivated by the application of nanotechnology in medicine, particularly in immunology. Since my recruitment to Sinai in 2006, we have established a multidisciplinary ecosystem in which young scientists from diverse backgrounds can flourish and mature into the engineers, scientists, and medical doctors of tomorrow by participating in and driving innovative science today. Through exploring the biological, chemical, and experimental knowledge that interconnects chemistry, imaging, and immunology, our lab is able to create nanomaterials to tackle prolific medical conditions such as cancer, atherosclerosis, stroke, and organ transplantation.

News
Mount Sinai Researchers Use Apple Watch to Predict COVID-19
Subtle changes in an individual’s heartbeat, which can be measured on an Apple Watch, are able to signal the onset of COVID-19 up to seven days before individuals are diagnosed with the infection. That preliminary observation was made by researchers at the Icahn...
Mount Sinai Hospital opens one of the first centers to study and treat people with what being called “Post-acute COVID Syndrome.”
Please click on the image to watch the 60 Minutes segment. New York, NY (November 22, 2020) — COVID-19 was initially thought to be a disease that was serious for the eldery and people with preexisting conditions. A potentially tough, but temporary respiratory illness...
Scientists Engineer New Cancer Immunotherapy to Train Immune System in Cancer Fight
Nanobiologic immunotherapy uses tiny, bioengineered material to harness immune systemNew York, NY (October 29, 2020) — A groundbreaking new type of cancer immunotherapy developed at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai trains the innate immune system to help it...
Latest Publications
Artificial intelligence–enabled rapid diagnosis of patients with COVID-19
Xueyan Mei, Hao-Chih Lee, […] Yang Yang
Nat Med (2020).
Probing myeloid cell dynamics in ischaemic heart disease by nanotracer hot-spot imaging
Max L. Senders, Anu E. Meerwaldt, ... Willem J. M. Mulder
Nat. Nanotechnol. 15, 398–405 (2020).