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Lucian Mocan

Biography

During his academic career both as student and as a research faculty, Dr. Mocan received numerous abroad awards and distinctions that include: Queen Jadwiga (2004) distinction for young researchers Jagellonian University Cracow Poland and Joseph Dietl (2005) distinction at Jagellonian University Cracow Poland, for excellence in surgical oncology research. More recently he joined and/or was invited to join a number of professional organizations that include: European Society for Nanomedicine ? Since 2010, Romanian Society of Nanomedicine,(2008-), American Chemical Society (ACS) ? since 2012, Materials Research Society (MRS) ? since 2013, European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: ESGE International Association of Nanotechnology (IANT) ? since 2014 In 2014 Dr. Mocan was invited to be EIC of the Nanomedicine, Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Journal. In this quality he organized the editorial activity of the Journal, prepared several special issues, and reviewed manuscripts for publication. Also Dr. Mocan is an active reviewer for other various scientific journals that include: Nature Communications, Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, Journal of Materials Science, and others. During the last five years, Dr. Mocan? research was fully focused in the area of nanotechnology, bio-nano-medical research, tissue engineering, cancer visualization and treatment by nanostructured materials Overall, Dr. Mocan has over 80 papers in peer reviewed Journals or presented at International conferences, 1 patent issued, 2 accepted patent applications in the final printing stages and 5 recent patent applications under review. Among clinical studies in the field of digestive surgical oncology, during the last three years, Dr. Mocan`s research was also focused in the area of nanotechnology, bio-nano-medical research, nano-toxicology, cancer visualization and treatment by bioconjugated nanomaterials with priority on the selective laser ablation and optical damage of the pancreatic and liver cancer cells by antibody functionalized nanoparticles. Although significant research efforts have been spent by therapies strictly directed toward the tumor cells the process is still not very well controlled and understood. Dr. Mocan`s contributions in this field were represented by the development a new method of photothermal treatment for human hepatocellular carcinoma based on a simple multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) carrier system, such as human serum albumin (HSA). Transmission electron, contrast phase and confocal microscopy combined immunochemical staining were used to demonstrate the selective internalization of HSA-MWCNTs via Gp60 receptors and the caveolin-mediated endocytosis inside HepG2 cells in comparison with normal epithelial cells. The paper was published in the journal of American Society of Nanomedicine-International Journal of Nanomedicine [Int J Nanomedicine. 2011 Jan 17;6:129-41] and was considered by Romanian Office for Science and Technology from Bruxelles as one of the major achievements of Romanian research. (www.rosteu.net in news section under the title: ?a new treatment for liver cancer?). In a separate project, with the purpose of testing the therapeutic value of these nanobioconjugates under clinical circumstances, Dr.Mocan and the team from Nanomedicine Department developed an original ex vivo experimental platform of human pancreatic cancer in order to simulate real clinical situations. A new protocol adapted from prancreatic transplantation was conceived and surgically resected specimens from patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) were preserved in cold medium and kept alive via intra-arterial perfusion. Additionally, the complex human albumin-carbon nanotubes were intra-arterially administered in greater pancreatic artery under ultrasound guidance. The external laser irradiation of the specimen after intra-arterial administration of HSA-MWCNTs produced extensive necrosis of the malign tissue with no harmful effects on the surrounding healthy parenchyma. This new therapeutical approach was recently published in International Journal of Nanomedicine (Int J Nanomedicine. 2011;6:915-28.) In a separate project, single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were covalently linked to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and were found to be specifically delivered to pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) when these cells were exposed in vitro. The paper and was presented at MRS Meeting, MIT Boston Massachutes. In a peper published in December 2013 in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2013 Dec;17(12):1383-93 we have demonstrated that malignant cells exposed to these photoexcited gold nanoparticles induce an increase in mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), resulting in immediate dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, osmotic disruption of the cell and cell death (apoptosis). Quantitative proteomic analysis performed at the Department of Nanomedicine showed that pre-GNP therapy leads to inactivation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins via direct protein-protein interaction with the BH3 domain, resulting in a decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP), followed by initiation of apoptosis. We have also observed a phenomenon of 5b COX factor upregulation following the treatment with photoexcited gold nanoparticles. In another paper published in 2014 in Journal of Cancer (J Cancer. 2014 Sep 5;5(8):679-88) we report the construct of a nano-biosystem based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules validated through AFM, UV-Vis and DLS. We next studied the photothermal effect of these PEG-ylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (5, 10 and 50 ?g/mL, respectively) on pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) and further analyzed the molecular and cellular events involved in cell death occurrence. Using cell proliferation, apoptosis, membrane polarization and oxidative stress assays for ELISA, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry we show here that hyperthermia following MWCNTs-PEG laser mediated treatment (808 nm, 2W) leads to mitochondrial membrane depolarization that activates the flux of free radicals within the cell and the oxidative state mediate cellular damage in PC cells via apoptotic pathway. Our results are of decisive importance especially in regard with the development of novel nano-biosystems capable to target mitochondria and to synergically act both as cytotoxic drug as well as thermally active agents

Research Interest

Lucian Mocan is Professor in General Surgery (Digestive Oncologic Surgery) at 3-rd Surgical University Hospital-?Prof. O. Fodor? Gastroenterology Intitute Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He is also the vicepresident of Romanian Society of Nanomedicine, cofounder of the Nanomedicine Department (www.nmn.ro) at 3-rd Surgical Clinic. Among clinical studies in the field of digestive surgical oncology, during the last three years, Dr. Mocane`s research was also focused in the area of nanotechnology, bio-nano-medical research, nano-toxicology, cancer visualization and treatment by bioconjugated nanomaterials with priority on the selective laser ablation and optical damage of the pancreatic and liver cancer cells by antibody functionalized nanoparticles. Dr. Mocan and his team has produced in the field of nanomedicine 1 book published in USA in the field of Nanomedicine, 14 invited presentations, 31 research articles with high impact factors, 27 conference presentations, and 8 patents/ applications on the development of bio-nanosystems with potential role in cancer therapy. Dr Mocan?s publications in the field of digestive cancer nanophotothermolysis has received attention in various online media scientific news publications.