My research focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of recombinant protein-based materials for drug delivery, imaging, tissue engineering, and other biomedical applications. Recently we have explored the use of stimuli-responsive peptide elements as intramolecular transducers to modulate antibody affinity. Our current focus is on utilizing similar concepts to produce bioactive self-assembling nanoparticles from environmentally-responsive protein-based polymers. We have shown that these particles are potent inducers of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells and are beginning to explore their utility as delivery vehicles for novel vaccines and imaging agents, and as scaffolds for neural tissue engineering.

Our group, the Molecular and Nanosystems Bioengineering Research Group, focuses on a variety of projects that involve rational or random manipulation at the molecular level, along with characterization and determination of phenotypic correlates associated with these molecular perturbations. These projects include:

1. Engineering retroviral vectors with improved stability for gene therapy applications (with Monica Casali, Yawen Li, and Halong Vu).

2. Design and production of Living Cell Arrays for drug screening and the study of  inflammatory gene expression profiles in real time (with Kevin King, Amol Janorkar, Jack Milwid, and Sihong Wang).

3. Utilization of intercellular translocating proteins to improve the bystander effect in gene therapy of solid tumors (with Suraj Patel and Kaushal Rege).

4. Simultaneous imaging and therapy of tumors with quantum dot – peptide bioconjugates (with Kaushal Rege).

Recent Publications

Megeed Z, Rege K, Selby L, and Yarmush ML. A nanoparticle platform for the delivery of peptide therapeutics, In preparation.

Casali M, Banta S, Megeed Z, and Yarmush ML. Site-directed mutagenesis of the hinge peptide from the hemagglutinin protein: enhancement of the pH-responsive conformational change, In preparation.

Rege K, Patel S, Megeed Z, and Yarmush ML. Amphipathic peptide-based fusion peptides and immunoconjugates for the targeted ablation of prostate cancer cells, In preparation.

Janorkar A, Rajagopalan P, Yarmush ML, and Megeed Z. ELP-polyelectrolyte polymer structure confers control over hepatocyte morphology and function, In preparation.

Parekkedanan B, van Poll D, Megeed Z, Tilles A, Berthiaume F, and Yarmush, ML. Immunomodulation of activated stellate cells by mesenchymal stem cells, In preparation.

Casali M, Goldwasser J, Megeed Z, and Yarmush ML. Retroviral Reverse Transcriptase-mediated RNA degradation contributes to viral decay, In preparation.

Banta S, Megeed Z, Casali M, Rege K, and Yarmush ML. Protein engineering for nanotechnology applications, Submitted.

Megeed Z, Winters RM, and Yarmush ML. Single chain antibodies with elastin-like polypeptide linkers, Biomacromolecules, 7: 999-1004 (2006).

Hatefi A, Megeed Z, and Ghandehari H. Biosynthesis and characterization of a functional recombinant gene carrier, Journal of Gene Medicine, 8: 468-476 (2006).

Megeed Z, Haider M, Cappello J, and Ghandehari H.  In vitro and in vivo evaluation of recombinant silk-elastinlike hydrogels for cancer gene therapy, Journal of Controlled Release, 94: 433-445 (2004).

Megeed Z, Cappello J, and Ghandehari H.  Thermal Analysis of Water in Silk-Elastinlike Hydrogels by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Biomacromolecules, 5: 793-797 (2004).

Haider M, Megeed Z, Ghandehari H. Genetically engineered polymers: Status and prospects for controlled release, Journal of Controlled Release, 95: 1-26 (2004).