Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

Biography

Professor Kattesh V. Katti is internationally recognized as a leader in the interconnecting fields of—chemistry, radiopharmaceutical sciences, nanotechnology/green nanotechnology and nanomedicine—for biomedical applications, specifically for molecular imaging and therapy of living subjects. The impact of Dr. Katti’s work is widespread, as his pioneering discoveries and strategies, originally developed in his laboratory in bioconjugate chemistry and Nanomedicine, and green nanotechnological tools, are used in many laboratories, industries and hospitals around the world. His contributions in nano and green nanotechnologies have already created a transformative progress in nanomedicine by aiding molecular imaging to help diagnose and manage therapy—all at the cellular levels. Dr. Katti’s ground breaking discoveries in green nanotechnology where he has demonstrated that biocompatible nanoparticles can be produced without the intervention of any toxic chemicals, through phytochemicals of high antioxidant capacities and tumor receptor specificities have created a new generation of molecular imaging and therapeutic nanoceuticals. His approach to green nanotechnology has furthered the scope of holistic and integrative medicine with implications in modulating signaling pathways allowing optimization of therapies targeted to tumor cells/regions without causing adverse toxic effects to normal cells. These original discoveries are expected to have a major impact on how molecular imaging and therapies will eventually be individualized to allow their greater success through theranostic approaches using radioactive nanoparticles, photothermal therapy using targeted nanoparticles and novel therapies involving phytochemicals. Myriad of such approaches developed by Dr. Katti are already impacting clinical translation through comparative oncology in realistic ways as new drugs are being validated for their efficacy in imaging and therapy using tumor bearing dogs where the disease mimics human conditions. In recognition of his original contributions, Dr. Katti has been awarded a number of international awards and citations which include: International Hevesy Medal Award (2015) for excellence in Nuclear Sciences; Elected to the fellowship of the National Academy of Inventors (2015); One of the ‘25 Most Influential Scientists In Molecular Imaging in the World’ award by RT Image, the ‘Father of Green Nanotechnology’ citation by the Nobel Prize Winner Norman Borlaug, Gauss Professorship—Hall of Fame—from the Gottingen Academy of Sciences, ‘Outstanding Scientists Fellows’ award and induction as a Fellow of the Academy of Science, St Louis—one of the oldest scientific academies of the world and many more. In 2013, Dr. Katti was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science with a citation “for distinguished contributions encompassing nanoscale chemistry, particularly for ground breaking discoveries enabling application of nanotechnology concepts for biomedical applications”. His unprecedented discovery of the production of tumor specific gold nanoparticles through 100% green processes have been cited as the Editor’s choice in Nature, Future Medicine, in Science (AAAS), in Popular Science, by the Discovery Channel and have been highlighted in scientific/medical programs of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, London)

Research Interest

Dr. Katti's research is focused on unraveling fundamentals of science and apply those principles and concepts to developing new chemical species at the macro and nano scales. In the nanodomain, he is interested in exploring chemical, biophysical, magnetic and photophysical properties, that are unique to specific nanoparticulates, toward the design and development of sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Targeted nanoparticles are being utilized in the detection of diseases at the cellular/sub cellular levels while radiochemical and X ray absorption properties of gold nanoparticles, embedded selectively within tumor cells/sites, are being applied for effective therapy of breast, liver, lung, oral, prostate and pancreatic cancers. Drug discovery approaches are built around clinical translation motif as Dr. Katti strongly believes that discoveries should translate into value added products to ultimately serve humanity. Green nanotechnology is at the focal point of Dr. Katti's approach to pursuing research in nanotechnology as he strongly believes in the total elimination of toxic chemicals either for the synthesis or as byproducts in the production of engineered nanoparticles. Toward this end, phytochemicals occluded within plants, herbs or from various sources from mother nature are being used in developing 100% green processes for the development of nano constructs for use in a plethora of medical, agricultural, hygienic and technological applications