Mark Kester

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  • Phone: 434-243-2645
  • Fax: 434-243-8058

Primary Appointment

Professor, Unaffiliated

Education

  • PhD, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • Postdoc, University of Illinois, Chicago

Research Disciplines

Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Epigenetics, Experimental Pathology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases/Biodefense, Metabolism, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, Structural Biology, Translational Science

Research Description

Dr. Kester has research interests that include the design, characterization and validation of nanotechnologies for targeted drug delivery. His laboratory has evaluated nanoliposomes, nanodendrimers and nanocolloids as effective drug delivery vehicles for pharmacological and molecular agents. Recent work focuses on nontoxic nanoscale systemic delivery systems for hydrophobic pro-apoptotic lipids as well as siRNAs that target mutated tumorigenic proteins. Dr. Kester has consulted with, or helped found, several companies that have the license to his "nano Solutions". In addition, Dr.Kester is a co-author of Integrated Pharmacology, published by Elsevier, Ltd., which was just recognized as a "highly commended textbook" by the British Medical Society.

Personal Statement

Dr. Kesterâs research interests include the design, characterization and validation of nanotechnologies for targeted drug delivery. His laboratory has evaluated nanoliposomes, nanodendrimers and nanocolloids as effective drug delivery vehicles for pharmacological and molecular agents. Recent work focuses on nontoxic nanoscale systemic delivery systems for hydrophobic pro-apoptotic lipids as well as siRNAs that target mutated tumorigenic proteins. Dr. Kester has consulted with, or founding, several companies that have the license to his nanoâSolutions.â In addition, Dr.Kester is a co-author of Integrated Pharmacology, published by Elsevier, Ltd., which was just recognized as a "highly commended textbook" by the British Medical Society.

Training

  • Biotechnology Training Grant
  • Cancer Research Training in Molecular Biology
  • Training in Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Training in the Pharmacological Sciences

Selected Publications

Barth BM, Shanmugavelandy SS, Kaiser JM, McGovern C, AltınoÄlu EÄ°, Haakenson JK, Hengst JA, Gilius EL, Knupp SA, Fox TE, Smith JP, Ritty TM, Adair JH, Kester M, PhotoImmunoNanoTherapy reveals an anticancer role for sphingosine kinase 2 and dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate., 2013; ACS nano. 7(3) 2132-44. PMID: 23373542 | PMCID: PMC3757127

Ryland LK, Doshi UA, Shanmugavelandy SS, Fox TE, Aliaga C, Broeg K, Baab KT, Young M, Khan O, Haakenson JK, Jarbadan NR, Liao J, Wang HG, Feith DJ, Loughran TP, Liu X, Kester M, C6-ceramide nanoliposomes target the warburg effect in chronic lymphocytic leukemia., 2013; PloS one. 8(12) e84648. PMID: 24367685 | PMCID: PMC3868606

Hankins JL, Ward KE, Linton SS, Barth BM, Stahelin RV, Fox TE, Kester M, Ceramide 1-phosphate mediates endothelial cell invasion via the annexin a2-p11 heterotetrameric protein complex., 2013; The Journal of biological chemistry. 288(27) 19726-38. PMID: 23696646 | PMCID: PMC3707677

Adiseshaiah PP, Clogston JD, McLeland CB, Rodriguez J, Potter TM, Neun BW, Skoczen SL, Shanmugavelandy SS, Kester M, Stern ST, McNeil SE, Synergistic combination therapy with nanoliposomal C6-ceramide and vinblastine is associated with autophagy dysfunction in hepatocarcinoma and colorectal cancer models., 2013; Cancer letters. 337(2) 254-65. PMID: 23664889 | PMCID: PMC3722309

Barth BM, Shanmugavelandy SS, Tacelosky DM, Kester M, Morad SA, Cabot MC, Gaucher's disease and cancer: a sphingolipid perspective., 2013; Critical reviews in oncogenesis. 18(3) 221-34. PMID: 23510065 | PMCID: PMC3604879

Morad SA, Madigan JP, Levin JC, Abdelmageed N, Karimi R, Rosenberg DW, Kester M, Shanmugavelandy SS, Cabot MC, Tamoxifen magnifies therapeutic impact of ceramide in human colorectal cancer cells independent of p53., 2013; Biochemical pharmacology. 85(8) 1057-65. PMID: 23353700 | PMCID: PMC3604153

Young MM, Kester M, Wang HG, Sphingolipids: regulators of crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy., 2012; Journal of lipid research. 54(1) 5-19. PMID: 23152582 | PMCID: PMC3520539

Morad SA, Levin JC, Shanmugavelandy SS, Kester M, Fabrias G, Bedia C, Cabot MC, Ceramide--antiestrogen nanoliposomal combinations--novel impact of hormonal therapy in hormone-insensitive breast cancer., 2012; Molecular cancer therapeutics. 11(11) 2352-61. PMID: 22962326 | PMCID: PMC3495995

Fox TE, Young MM, Pedersen MM, Han X, Gardner TW, Kester M, Diabetes diminishes phosphatidic acid in the retina: a putative mediator for reduced mTOR signaling and increased neuronal cell death., 2012; Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 53(11) 7257-67. PMID: 22952117 | PMCID: PMC3478036

Tacelosky DM, Creecy AE, Shanmugavelandy SS, Smith JP, Claxton DF, Adair JH, Kester M, Barth BM, Calcium phosphosilicate nanoparticles for imaging and photodynamic therapy of cancer., 2012; Discovery medicine. 13(71) 275-85. PMID: 22541615

Kaiser JM, Imai H, Haakenson JK, Brucklacher RM, Fox TE, Shanmugavelandy SS, Unrath KA, Pedersen MM, Dai P, Freeman WM, Bronson SK, Gardner TW, Kester M, Nanoliposomal minocycline for ocular drug delivery., 2012; Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine. 9(1) 130-40. PMID: 22465498 | PMCID: PMC3762261

Young MM, Takahashi Y, Khan O, Park S, Hori T, Yun J, Sharma AK, Amin S, Hu CD, Zhang J, Kester M, Wang HG, Autophagosomal membrane serves as platform for intracellular death-inducing signaling complex (iDISC)-mediated caspase-8 activation and apoptosis., 2012; The Journal of biological chemistry. 287(15) 12455-68. PMID: 22362782 | PMCID: PMC3320995