Lata G. Menon, Ph.D.
Research Fellow, Black Laboratory,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

221 Longwood Avenue , Room 121
Boston , MA , 02115
Tel: 617-278-0176
Fax:617-232-9029
lmenon@rics.bwh.harvard.edu


My research focuses on the development of novel systems for local therapeutic delivery of biological agents at human brain tumor sites. One of our approaches employ biodegradable poly D, L,-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) microparticles loaded with therapeutics for the treatment of intracranial tumors. The PLGA microspheres are placed in the surgical cavity and allow continuous release of biological active compounds for an extended period of time. This system overcomes problems associated with high doses and daily administration of inhibitors. The use of microspheres offers a way to combine different inhibitors as well as chemotherapy in one administration. Use of polymeric microspheres is a very promising approach to locally and efficiently deliver endogenous inhibitors to the tumor site leading to significant inhibition of tumor.

In another approach, we use Human bone marrow derived Mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) as cellular vehicles for local delivery of biological agents to brain tumors. Human MSC's are transduced with the gene of interest and the therapeutic effect of hMSC on intracranial tumors is studied in vitro and in vivo. Our studies extend the therapeutic zone by migration and homing of hMSC to tumor foci, combined with delivery of therapeutic agents released and thereby targeting tumor cells. hMSC can be obtained easily from bone marrow aspirates, expanded in vitro without loss of function and genetically modified. The multiple potential of adult hMSC and their highly reduced immunoreactivity after allogenic transfer makes hMSC an ideal cell type in cell therapy applications.

During summer, I also train and supervise medical students and summer volunteers.

Research Background

Education

University of Calicut , Kerala , India – B.Sc -- 1990
University of Calicut, Kerala, India – M.Sc -- 1992
Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India – Ph.D ( Immunology ) -- 2000

Postdoctoral Training

Dept of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, North Shore-LIJ University Hospital – NYU School of Medicine , Manhasset , NY (2001- 2002)

Dept of Medical Oncology, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey / UMDNJ, New Brunswick, NJ. (2002 - 2005)

Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA (since 2005)

Awards and Fellowships

Click Here to View Dr. Menon's Curriculum Vitae