The Taratula laboratory focuses on the development of nanomaterial-based platforms for imaging and targeted eradication of endometriosis and cancer. Thermal therapy (hyperthermia), a clinical intervention to ablate cancerous tissue by increasing the temperature of the tumors, is one of our major research directions. Different strategies can be used to elevate intratumoral temperatures for cancer treatment. For example, nanoparticle-mediated magnetic hyperthermia is a form of thermal therapy where nanoparticles delivered to disease sites generate heat after exposure to an external alternating magnetic field. Many studies have validated the significant potential of magnetic hyperthermia to either kill cancer cells directly or enhance their susceptibility to radiation and chemotherapy. Despite its promising potential, magnetic hyperthermia is currently limited to the treatment of localized and accessible tumors because the required therapeutic temperatures (>42 0C) can only be achieved by direct intratumoral injection of conventional magnetic nanoparticles. To overcome this, we have developed novel nanoparticles that efficiently accumulate at tumor sites following intravenous injection and generate desirable intratumoral temperatures (>42 0C). A significant portion of our research is also focused on nanomedicine-based image-guided photothermal therapy. We develop nanoparticles that efficiently delineate cancer lesions with fluorescence signals following systemic injection and eliminate them with heat upon exposure to targeted near-infrared light. Our research team also demonstrated that some fundamental principles of cancer nanomedicine can be used for the development of novel nanoparticle-based strategies for the treatment of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a devastating disease characterized by the presence of endometrium-like tissues outside of the uterus, and there is no cure for this disorder. To tackle this issue, we validated that the aforementioned nanomedicine strategies are also effective for the diagnosis and eradication of endometriotic lesions.
Oleh Taratula received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2008. After that, he completed his postdoctoral training with Professor Tamara Minko at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. In 2011, Oleh Taratula joined Oregon State University, where he is currently a Professor of Pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy and co-director of the Center for Innovative Drug Delivery and Imaging. He is also an Affiliate Research Member of the Knight Cancer Institute and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University. The primary focus of his research is the development of multifunctional nanoplatforms for imaging and specific eradication of cancer, endometriosis, and other diseases. His research accomplishments have been recognized with several awards, including the Richard T. Jones New Investigator Award. Oleh Taratula has obtained four patents and published over 55 peer-reviewed papers in many high-impact journals (ACS Nano – Impact Factor 18.0, Small – 15.1, etc.). His research is supported by grants from NIH, DOD, and other funding agencies.