Gene and cell therapy technologies provide a promising new avenue to treat medical conditions. Furthermore, the original aim of gene therapy, understood as the delivery of a functional gene in a patient who has a mutated one is being widen to include new aims such as the inhibition of genes of infectious pathogens, the overexpression of angiogenic or interleukin genes in patients who bear no mutations in those genes, gene editing or the engineering of immune cells to recognize a tumour antigen. My research is aimed at developing novel strategies for the delivery of genes and cells for medical therapeutic applications. As a common theme all these strategies use biomaterials to achieve its purpose. My laboratory has comprehensive experience encapsulating genetically engineered cells in hydrogel implantable microcapsules for the delivery of therapeutics. We are also working on developing nanoparticle formulations of DNA for oral administration with potential application to various medical conditions, such as hemophilia. Our current research also aims to deliver genes that can modulate undesirable immune responses to FVIII, with potential application to other diseases.
Hortelano, G., A. Al-Hendy, F.A. Ofosu, and P.L. Chang. (1996)
BLOOD 87(12):5095-5103
Orive G, Hernandez RM, Gascon AR, Calafiore R, Chang TM, Vos PD, Hortelano G, Hunkeler D, Lacik I, Shapiro AM, Pedraz JL. (2003)
NATURE MEDICINE 9(1):104-107
Dhadwar S, Kiernan J, Wen J, Hortelano G. (2010)
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS & HAEMOSTASIS, 8(12):2743-2750
Sayyar B, Dodd M, Marquez L, Janowska A, Hortelano G. (2015)
ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, 43(5):318-327
Ashimova A, Yegorov S, Negmetzhanov B, Hortelano G. (2019)
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 7:380
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Dr. Hortelano came to McMaster in 1992 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics in the laboratory of Dr. Patricia Chang, and stayed later as a faculty member in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine. He was also a faculty member of the School of Biomedical Engineering since its inception. Since 2012 he works at Nazarbayev University, a new international university in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he is a Professor in the Department of Biology and was the Chair of the department (2015-2017). He has ongoing research collaborations with Dr. Anthony Chan, Department of Pediatrics, at McMaster University, and is co-supervising with him a graduate student in the School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Hortelano teaches at Nazarbayev University undergraduate courses in genetics and molecular biology of the cell, as well as graduate courses in gene therapy and regenerative medicine.
Code | Title | Instructor | Outline | Info |
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BIOMED 704 / CHEMENG 784 Graduate | BIOMED 704 Gene Therapy for Bioengineers |
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