Quentin Pankhurst

In vivo sensing and imaging using novel contrast agents. In vitro diagnostics and molecular imaging. Targeted therapeutics and combined diagnostics/therapeutics. Contact details: Office: 5P1 Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 3514 Ext: 33514 Fax: +44 (0)20 7679 0535 Email:q.pankhurstucl.ac.uk

Research Interest
Quentin Pankhurst runs internationally recognised research programmes in bio- and nanomagnetism. These include:

• a biomagnetometer for use by cancer surgeons where injected magnetic nanoparticles are used to locate sentinel lymph nodes for biopsy;  
• a combined microscope and localised-force actuator for ‘tag-and-drag’ studies of labelled biomolecules in and around living cells;
• regenerative medicine, and the use of labelled haematopoetic stem cells for directed treatment of cardiovascular disease;
• bioengineering of antigen specific antibodies as vectors for magnetic field hyperthermia treatment of colorectal and other cancers;
• synthesis and characterisation of multi-functional core-shell nanoparticles for in vitro imaging and sensing.

Together these programmes embody a new platform technology in the biomedical application of magnetic nanoparticles.

Publications
A Biology Letters paper in 2003 (pdf attached). By applying rigorous methods to the study of human brain tissues, evidence has been found of a possible link between magnetic nanoparticles in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. Similar work is being carried out on Huntington’s disease transgenic mice.

An invited review article on biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles that was published in Journal of Physics D in July 2003 (pdf attached). This is the most highly cited work to date in this extremely active field. It introduces and critiques the four main aspects of the field: magnetic separation, drug delivery, hyperthermia and MRI contrast enhancement.

A spin-out company, Endomagnetics Inc. (see www.endomagnetics.com) was formed in March 2006. The company’s first product, SentiMag^TM, is an ultrasensitive hand-held probe for tracking clinically introduced magnetic nanoparticles. It is used to locate lymph nodes for the treatment of breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma.

Biography
Professor Quentin Andrew Pankhurst FInstP CPhys MRSC CChem
Professor of Physics, UCL, Oct05; and Deputy Director, LCN, March 02
BSc Hons (1^st  class), University of Canterbury, New Zealand, November 82
PhD, University of Liverpool, May 86
Research Associate, Univ. of Manitoba, Canada, September 86 - June 88
Sir James Chadwick Fellow, University of Liverpool, August 88 – December 93
Lecturer & Reader, UCL, Jan94–Sep05

Research
The SentiMAG™ probe is the first product of Endomagnetics Inc., an LCN start-up company. Magnetic dye is injected into the tumor, which then collects in the sentinel lymph nodes, where it can be quickly and easily detected.