Kathryn Whitehead

Last updated
Kathryn Ann Whitehead
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Alma mater University of Delaware
University of California, Santa Barbara
Scientific career
Institutions Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
Carnegie Mellon University
Thesis Safe and effective methods for improving the oral delivery of macromolecules  (2007)
Website http://whitehead.cheme.cmu.edu

Kathryn Ann Whitehead (born 1980) is an American chemical engineer who is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research considers the development of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems for gene therapy, [1] oral macromolecular delivery systems, [2] and maternal and infant therapeutics. [3] She is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2021 [4] and Fellow of the Controlled Release Society. [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Whitehead is from Allentown, Pennsylvania. [6] She earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, [6] then moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied methods to improve the oral delivery of macromolecules. [7] Whitehead was a postdoctoral researcher at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, where she worked alongside Robert S. Langer on RNA interference therapeutics. [8]

Research and career

Whitehead's research considers the development of drug delivery systems for gene therapy. [9] She is interested in the development of nanoparticle materials to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) to specific cells. [10] Targeted mRNA delivery provides physicians with a personalized strategy to treat genetic disorders. [11] Alongside mRNA, Whitehead has studied small interfering RNA, which can be used to control gene expression. [12] In general, mRNA promotes gene expression, whilst siRNA is used to silence over-expressed genes. [13] She focuses on the development of delivery systems for leukocytes (including B cells) and intestinal epithelium. [6] [14] A challenge with using mRNA for therapeutic purposes is that the body often recognizes intruder mRNA and attacks it, triggering an immune response. [13] She worked with Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman on the development of the lipid nanoparticles that enabled the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. [15] [16]

In an attempt to better design drug delivery systems, Whitehead has investigated the cellular components of breast milk. [17] [18] She is interested in whether it is possible to genetically engineer cells to treat children's allergies, or orally administer vaccines to infants. [17]

Whitehead is passionate about science communication and improving public trust in science. [19] In 202, she delivered a TED talk on lipid nanoparticles and how mRNA will transform biology. [20] In 2022, Whitehead delivered the convocation address at the Carnegie Mellon University. [21]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small interfering RNA</span> Biomolecule

Small interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes known as short interfering RNA or silencing RNA, is a class of double-stranded RNA at first non-coding RNA molecules, typically 20–24 base pairs in length, similar to miRNA, and operating within the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. It interferes with the expression of specific genes with complementary nucleotide sequences by degrading mRNA after transcription, preventing translation. It was discovered in 1998, by Andrew Fire at Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC and Craig Mello at University of Massachusetts in Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug delivery</span> Methods for delivering drugs to target sites

Drug delivery refers to approaches, formulations, manufacturing techniques, storage systems, and technologies involved in transporting a pharmaceutical compound to its target site to achieve a desired therapeutic effect. Principles related to drug preparation, route of administration, site-specific targeting, metabolism, and toxicity are used to optimize efficacy and safety, and to improve patient convenience and compliance. Drug delivery is aimed at altering a drug's pharmacokinetics and specificity by formulating it with different excipients, drug carriers, and medical devices. There is additional emphasis on increasing the bioavailability and duration of action of a drug to improve therapeutic outcomes. Some research has also been focused on improving safety for the person administering the medication. For example, several types of microneedle patches have been developed for administering vaccines and other medications to reduce the risk of needlestick injury.

The Dickson Prize in Medicine and the Dickson Prize in Science were both established in 1969 by Joseph Z. Dickson and Agnes Fischer Dickson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid lipid nanoparticle</span> Novel drug delivery system

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are nanoparticles composed of lipids. They are a novel pharmaceutical drug delivery system, and a novel pharmaceutical formulation. LNPs as a drug delivery vehicle were first approved in 2018 for the siRNA drug Onpattro. LNPs became more widely known in late 2020, as some COVID-19 vaccines that use RNA vaccine technology coat the fragile mRNA strands with PEGylated lipid nanoparticles as their delivery vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert F. Murphy (computational biologist)</span>

Robert F. Murphy is Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor of Computational Biology Emeritus and Director of the M.S. Program in Automated Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to his retirement in May 2021, he was the Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor of Computational Biology as well as Professor of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Machine Learning. He was founding Director of the Center for Bioimage Informatics at Carnegie Mellon and founded the Joint CMU-Pitt Ph.D. Program in Computational Biology. He also founded the Computational Biology Department at Carnegie Mellon University and served as its head from 2009 to 2020.

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. is an American RNA medicines biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutics for rare diseases and infectious diseases. Arcturus has developed proprietary lipid nanoparticle RNA therapeutics for nucleic acid medicines including small interfering RNA (siRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), gene editing RNA, DNA, antisense oligonucleotides, and microRNA.

Owais Mohammad is an Indian immunologist, nano-technologist and a professor at the interdisciplinary biotechnology unit of the Aligarh Muslim University. Known for his studies on nanotechnology-based vaccine and drug delivery, Owais is the author of two books, Trypanothione reductase: a potential anti-leishmanial drug target and Antimicrobial properties of clove oil: clove oils as antimicrobial agent. He has also co-edited two books, Modern Phytomedicine: Turning Medicinal Plants into Drugs and Combating Fungal Infections: Problems and Remedy, and has contributed chapters. His studies have also been documented by way of a number of articles and ResearchGate, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 60 of them. He is a recipient of the Rashtriya Gaurav Award of the India International Friendship Society. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 2007. His work has been displayed on cover pages of FEMS Immunol. Med Microbiology for all the issues of Year 2006 and Molecular Medicine in May–June issue of Year 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Wayne</span> Biomedical engineer

Elizabeth Wayne is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and former Postdoc at the Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wayne was a 2017 TED fellow and is a member of a number of professional societies, including the National Society of Black Physicists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yongjie Jessica Zhang</span> American mechanical engineer

Yongjie Jessica Zhang is an American mechanical engineer. She is the George Tallman Ladd and Florence Barrett Ladd Professor of mechanical engineering and, by courtesy, of biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Engineering with Computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jin Kim Montclare</span> Korean American biomolecular engineer

Jin Kim Montclare is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at New York University. She creates novel proteins that can be used in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and medical treatment. She is a 2019 AAAS Leshner Leadership Fellow and has been inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows.

mRNA vaccine Type of vaccine

An mRNAvaccine is a type of vaccine that uses a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) to produce an immune response. The vaccine delivers molecules of antigen-encoding mRNA into immune cells, which use the designed mRNA as a blueprint to build foreign protein that would normally be produced by a pathogen or by a cancer cell. These protein molecules stimulate an adaptive immune response that teaches the body to identify and destroy the corresponding pathogen or cancer cells. The mRNA is delivered by a co-formulation of the RNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles that protect the RNA strands and help their absorption into the cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katalin Karikó</span> Hungarian-American biochemist (born 1955)

Katalin "Kati" Karikó is a Hungarian-American biochemist who specializes in ribonucleic acid (RNA)-mediated mechanisms, particularly in vitro-transcribed messenger RNA (mRNA) for protein replacement therapy. Karikó laid the scientific groundwork for mRNA vaccines, overcoming major obstacles and skepticism in the scientific community. Karikó received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023 for her work, along with American immunologist Drew Weissman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Auguste</span> American chemical engineer

Debra Auguste is an American chemical engineer and professor at Northeastern University in the department of chemical engineering. Auguste is dedicated to developing treatments for triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and fatal cancers that disproportionately affects African American women. Her lab characterizes biomarkers of triple negative breast cancer and develops novel biocompatible therapeutic technologies to target and destroy metastatic cancer cells. Auguste received the 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and in 2010 was named in the 50 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology. In 2020, Auguste became an Elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALC-0315</span> Chemical compound

ALC-0315 is a synthetic lipid. A colorless oily material, it has attracted attention as a component of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, BNT162b2, from BioNTech and Pfizer. Specifically, it is one of four components that form lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which encapsulate and protect the otherwise fragile mRNA that is the active ingredient in these drugs. These nanoparticles promote the uptake of therapeutically effective nucleic acids such as oligonucleotides or mRNA both in vitro and in vivo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Weissman</span> American physician and immunologist (born 1959)

Drew Weissman is an American physician and immunologist known for his contributions to RNA biology. Weissman is the inaugural Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research, director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, and professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn).

SM-102 is a synthetic amino lipid which is used in combination with other lipids to form lipid nanoparticles. These are used for the delivery of mRNA-based vaccines, and in particular SM-102 forms part of the drug delivery system for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Pieter Rutter Cullis is a Canadian physicist and biochemist known for his contributions to the field of lipid nanoparticles (LNP). Cullis and co-workers have been responsible for fundamental advances in the development of nanomedicines employing lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology for cancer therapies, gene therapies and vaccines. This work has contributed to five drugs that have received clinical approval by the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and Health Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intracellular delivery</span> Scientific research area

Intracellular delivery is the process of introducing external materials into living cells. Materials that are delivered into cells include nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, impermeable small molecules, synthetic nanomaterials, organelles, and micron-scale tracers, devices and objects. Such molecules and materials can be used to investigate cellular behavior, engineer cell operations or correct a pathological function.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acuitas Therapeutics</span> Canadian biotechnology company

Acuitas Therapeutics Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company was established in February 2009 to specialize in the development of delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics based on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, a key component of the mRNA vaccines deployed for COVID-19.

Selective organ targeting (SORT) is a novel approach in the field of targeted drug delivery that systematically engineers multiple classes of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to enable targeted delivery of therapeutics to specific organs in the body. The SORT molecule alters tissue tropism by adjusting the composition and physical characteristics of the nanoparticle. Adding a permanently cationic lipid, a permanently anionic lipid, or ionizable amino lipid increases delivery to the lung, spleen, and liver, respectively. SORT LNPs utilize SORT molecules to accurately tune and mediate gene delivery and editing, resulting in predictable and manageable protein synthesis from mRNA in particular organ(s), which can potentially improve the efficacy of drugs while reducing side effects.

References

  1. ↑ "Kathryn Whitehead: mRNA offers potential new treatment for pancreatic diseases". YouTube . 29 March 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Katie Whitehead: Advanced Nanoparticle Research for Drug Delivery". Carnegie Mellon University. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "carnegie mellon kathryn whitehead - YouTube". Carnegie Mellon University. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Kathryn Whitehead, Ph.D. COF-6152 - AIMBE". AIMBE. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "College of Fellows Award Recipients" . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kathryn Whitehead". engineering.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  7. ↑ Whitehead, Kathryn Ann (2007). "Safe and effective methods for improving the oral delivery of macromolecules". worldcat.org. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  8. ↑ "Kathryn A. Whitehead - Biomedical Engineering" . Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Katie Whitehead: Advanced Nanoparticle Research for Drug Delivery, 2 July 2014, retrieved 2022-09-04
  10. ↑ "Kathryn Whitehead: How can we safely deliver vaccines to the right cells?". NPR.org. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  11. 1 2 University, Carnegie Mellon. "Whitehead Wins DARPA Young Faculty Award - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  12. 1 2 "Kathryn Whitehead". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  13. 1 2 University, Carnegie Mellon. "Whitehead's Research Could Revolutionize Medicine with Cutting-Edge Science - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  14. ↑ Pittsburgh, A. Carnegie Mellon University Publication 5000 Forbes Avenue; Pa 15213268-2000. "What if..." Carnegie Mellon Today. Retrieved 2022-09-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Smedley, Tim. "Could mRNA make us superhuman?". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  16. ↑ "Without these lipid shells, there would be no mRNA vaccines". cen.acs.org. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  17. 1 2 University, Carnegie Mellon (6 July 2022). "Mother's Milk Cells Key to Novel Infant Disease Therapy - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  18. ↑ Gleeson, John P.; Chaudhary, Namit; Fein, Katherine C.; Doerfler, Rose; Hredzak-Showalter, Patricia; Whitehead, Kathryn A. (July 2022). "Profiling of mature-stage human breast milk cells identifies six unique lactocyte subpopulations". Science Advances. 8 (26): eabm6865. Bibcode:2022SciA....8M6865G. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abm6865. ISSN   2375-2548. PMC   9242445 . PMID   35767604.
  19. ↑ "Personalities of Pittsburgh: Dr. Kathryn Whitehead is on the cutting edge of vaccine development". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  20. ↑ Whitehead, Kathryn A. "Kathryn A. Whitehead | Speaker | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  21. ↑ University, Carnegie Mellon (26 August 2022). "Convocation Inspires New Class - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  22. ↑ Medicine, The McGowan Institute For Regenerative (3 March 2021). "Drs. Adam Feinberg and Kathryn Whitehead Elected AIMBE 2021 Fellows". Regenerative Medicine at the McGowan Institute. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  23. ↑ "Kathryn Whitehead, Ph.D. COF-6152 - AIMBE" . Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  24. ↑ "Brilliant 10: Kathryn Whitehead Designs Drugs To Wipe Out Disease". Popular Science. 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  25. ↑ "Curtis W. McGraw Research Award". www.asee.org. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
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