Dr. Jinming Gao is a Professor of Oncology, Pharmacology and Otolaryngology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. More »

The Gao lab is working at the interface of nanotechnology, cancer biology and clinical oncology. Our primary research interest is to design and develop novel nanomaterials and nanoarchitectures for cancer diagnosis and targeted therapeutic applications. One of our recent inventions is a library of "pH transistor" nanoparticles with binary off/on reporters that are finely tunable in a broad range of physiological pH (4.0-7.4). The ultra pH-sensitive property is a unique nanoscale phenomenon that arises from the cooperative self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers. These new nanotools uncovered unprecendented biological insights on tumor acidosis, lysosome signaling and metabolism, and cytosolic delivery of biologics. Based on these knowledge, we are implementing the pH transistor technology in several clinically relevant applications, including cancer staging, image-guided surgery, and immunotherapy.

64Cu-labeled ultra-pH sensitive nanoparticles work through a 'capture and integration' mechanism to allow non-invasive detection of occult disease (3-4 mm in diameter) with a much improved contrast to noise ratio compared to current PET tracers(NBME). PDF

A review is published on the inception and implementation of transistor-like pH sensitive nanoparticles for precision medicine. PDF

Combining STING nanovaccine with local radiation offers an efficacious therapy in treating both primary and metastatic cancers. PDF

OncoNano Medicine completed the Phase I trial of pH threshold sensor (ONM-100) for cancer surgery. The company has received fast track status from the FDA to start Phase 2 trial in multiple cancer indications in 2019. PDF