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Marites P. Melancon, PhD

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Instructor, Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Associate Member, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX

Research Interests

The main goal of my research is to apply the “seek and treat” strategy in the development of targeted imaging/therapeutic agents that will eventually be translated to the clinic to improve the management of cancer through early tumor detection and individualized therapy. My focus is on the development of novel contrast and/or therapeutic agents that has the ability noninvasively monitor and treat cellular processes at the molecular level that leads to new ways of diagnosing and characterizing disease, developing effective therapeutics, and monitoring response to these treatments. Currently, I am working on the synthesis, characterization and in vivo evaluation of multimodality and multifunctional MR-active nanoparticles for MRI-guided laser-induced thermal therapy targeted to head and neck cancer.

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

2007 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, PHD, Biomedical Science Major in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology
2000 Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, Philippines, MS, Chemistry
1994 University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines, BS, Cum Laude, Chemistry

Honors and Awards

2010 Career Development Award, SPORE Head and Neck, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2010 Trainee Excellence Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2010 Travel Award, 2010 World Molecular Imaging Congress, Kyoto, Japan
2009-2012 Odyssey Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2009 Travel Award, 2009 World Molecular Imaging Congress, Montreal, Canada
2008 Travel Award, 2008 World Molecular Imaging Congress, Nice, France
2000 Dean’s Award for Best Graduate Research, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
1997-1999 Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCASTRD) Scholarship, Philippines
1994 Cum Laude, University of San Carlos, Cebu Philippines

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Lu W, Melancon MP, Xiong C, Huang Q, Elliott A, Song S, Zhang R, Flores LG, Gelovani JG, Wang LV, Ku G, Stafford RJ, Li C. Effects of photoacoustic imaging and photothermal ablation therapy mediated by targeted hollow gold nanospheres in an orthotopic mouse xenograft model of glioma. Cancer Res 71(19):6116-21, 10/2011. e-Pub 8/2011. PMCID: PMC3185126.
2. Melancon MP, Lu W, Zhong M, Zhou M, Liang G, Elliott AM, Hazle JD, Myers JN, Li C, Stafford RJ. Targeted multifunctional gold-based nanoshells for magnetic resonance-guided laser ablation of head and neck cancer. Biomaterials 32(30):7600-8, 10/2011. e-Pub 7/13/2011. PMCID: PMC3195359.
3. Melancon MP, Elliott AM, Shetty A, Huang Q, Stafford RJ, Li C. Near-infrared light modulated photothermal effect increases vascular perfusion and enhances polymeric drug delivery. J Control Release. e-Pub 7/2011. PMID: 21763373.
4. Melancon MP, Li C. Multifunctional synthetic polymer-based therapeutic and diagnostic agents. Mol Imaging 10(1):28-42, 2/2011. PMID: 21303613.
5. Melancon MP, Elliott A, Ji X, Shetty A, Yang Z, Tian M, Taylor B, Stafford RJ, Li C. Theranostics with multifunctional magnetic gold nanoshells: photothermal therapy and t2* magnetic resonance imaging. Invest Radiol 46(2):132-40, 2/2011. PMID: 21150791.
6. Zhou M, Zhang R, Huang M, Lu W, Song S, Melancon MP, Tian M, Liang D, Li C. A chelator-free multifunctional [64Cu]CuS nanoparticle platform for simultaneous micro-PET/CT imaging and photothermal ablation therapy. J Am Chem Soc 132(43):15351-8, 11/2010. PMCID: PMC2966020.
7. Melancon MP, Lu W, Huang Q, Thapa P, Zhou D, Ng C, Li C. Targeted imaging of tumor-associated M2 macrophages using a macromolecular contrast agent PG-Gd-NIR813. Biomaterials 31(25):6567-73, 9/2010. PMCID: PMC2900486.
8. Melancon M, Lu W, Li C. Gold-Based Magneto/Optical Nanostructures: Challenges for In Vivo Applications in Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy. Mater Res Bull 34(6):415-421, 6/2009. PMCID: PMC2891272.
9. Melancon MP, Lu W, Yang Z, Zhang R, Cheng Z, Elliot AM, Stafford J, Olson T, Zhang JZ, Li C. In vitro and in vivo targeting of hollow gold nanoshells directed at epidermal growth factor receptor for photothermal ablation therapy. Mol Cancer Ther 7(6):1730-9, 6/2008. PMCID: PMC2727060.
10. Melancon MP, Wang Y, Wen X, Bankson JA, Stephens LC, Jasser S, Gelovani JG, Myers JN, Li C. Development of a macromolecular dual-modality MR-optical imaging for sentinel lymph node mapping. Invest Radiol 42(8):569-78, 8/2007. PMCID: PMC2746745.
11. Melancon MP, Wang W, Wang Y, Shao R, Ji X, Gelovani JG, Li C. A novel method for imaging in vivo degradation of poly(L-glutamic acid), a biodegradable drug carrier. Pharm Res 24(6):1217-24, 6/2007. e-Pub 3/2007. PMCID: PMC2746742.
12. Wang W, Wu Q, Pasuelo M, McMurray JS, Li C. Probing for integrin alpha v beta3 binding of RGD peptides using fluorescence polarization. Bioconjug Chem 16(3):729-34, May-Jun, 5/2005. PMID: 15898744.
13. Wen X, Cao X, Pasuelo MJ, Wendt R, Li C. Polymeric radiotracers in nuclear imaging. Curr Drug Deliv 1(4):377-84, 10/2004. PMID: 16305399.
14. Tansey W, Ke S, Cao XY, Pasuelo MJ, Wallace S, Li C. Synthesis and characterization of branched poly(L-glutamic acid) as a biodegradable drug carrier. J Control Release 94(1):39-51, 1/2004. PMID: 14684270.
15. Pasuelo, MJ, Dayrit, FM. Development if quality assurance methods for medicinal plants using gas chromatography analysis. Kimika 17:5-11, 2001.

Invited Articles
1. Melancon MP, Zhou M, Li C. Cancer Theranostics with Near-Infrared Light-Activatable Multimodal Nanoparticles. Acc Chem Res 44(10):947-956, 10/18/2011. e-Pub 8/17/2011. PMCID: PMC3196765.

Book Chapters
1. Lu, W., Melancon, M.P., Li, C. Theranostic Applications of Gold Core-Shell Structured Nanoparticles. In: Nanoplatform-based Molecular Imaging. John Wiley & Sons Publishing: Hoboken, NJ, 683-708, 2011.
2. Melancon, M.P., Wen, X., Zhang, G., Li, C. Multi-functional multi-modality cancer imaging with synthetic polymers. In: Nanoimaging. Ed(s) Torchillin, V. and Amiji, M. Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd: Singapore, 2010.
3. Melancon, M.P., Li, C. Core-shell magnetic nanomaterials for medical diagnosis and therapy. In: Magnetic Nanomaterials. Ed(s) C. Kumar. Wiley-VCH: Weinheim, Germany, 259-290, 2009.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: SPORE Head and Neck Career Development Award
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 7/28/2010 - 7/28/2011

Last updated: 10/25/2011