Julia Ljubimova, MD, PhD Research Scientist, Neurosurgery
Email: julia.ljubimova@cshs.org Phone: (310) 423-0834

Institute Affiliation

Awards and Activities

Research Focus

Engineering of new biodegradable materials with properties of interest for their potential utilization as drug carriers or drug delivery systems in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Design and testing of a new nanopolymer anti-cancer molecular delivery system that specifically delivers drugs to the tumor cells using a targeting monoclonal antibody. This novel system releases tumor growth inhibiting agents specifically into cancer cells without affecting normal surrounding cells.

Research Contributions

Discovery of brain tumor genes/proteins important for tumor angiogenesis. Developed nanotechnology to block the synthesis of tumor-specific proteins responsible for angiogenesis. Initiated clinical program at Cedars-Sinai for prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of human brain tumor angiogenic markers.

Current investigations include:

The drug delivery system passing through blood brain barrier to deliver drugs to brain tumors and having the ability to block several cancer-specific tumor markers at the same time by using biodegradable nanoconjugate for brain and breast tumors. Cancer specific drug targeting.

Selected Publications

1. Ljubimova JY, Fujita M, Ljubimov AV, Torchilin VP, Black KL, Holler E: Poly(malic acid) nanoconjugates containing various antibodies and oligonucleotides for multitargeting drug delivery. Nanomedicine (London, England), 3(2): 247-65, 2008
2. Fujita M, Lee BS, Khazenzon NM, Penichet ML, Wawrowsky KA, Patil R, Ding H, Holler E, Black KL, Ljubimova JY: Brain tumor tandem targeting using a combination of monoclonal antibodies attached to biopoly(beta-L-malic acid). Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society, 122(3): 356-63, 2007
3. Fujita M, Khazenzon NM, Ljubimov AV, Lee BS, Virtanen I, Holler E, Black KL, Ljubimova JY: Inhibition of laminin-8 in vivo using a novel poly(malic acid)-based carrier reduces glioma angiogenesis. Angiogenesis, 9(4): 183-91, 2006
4. Ljubimova JY, Fugita M, Khazenzon NM, Das A, Pikul BB, Newman D, Sekiguchi K, Sorokin LM, Sasaki T, Black KL: Association between laminin-8 and glial tumor grade, recurrence, and patient survival. Cancer, 101(3): 604-12, 2004
5. Khazenzon NM, Ljubimov AV, Lakhter AJ, Fujita M, Fujiwara H, Sekiguchi K, Sorokin LM, Petäjäniemi N, Virtanen I, Black KL, Ljubimova JY: Antisense inhibition of laminin-8 expression reduces invasion of human gliomas in vitro. Mol. Cancer Ther., 2(10): 985-94, 2003
6. Lee BS, Fujita M, Khazenzon NM, Wawrowsky KA, Wachsmann-Hogiu S, Farkas DL, Black KL, Ljubimova JY, Holler E: Polycefin, a new prototype of a multifunctional nanoconjugate based on poly(beta-L-malic acid) for drug delivery. Bioconjug. Chem., 17(2): 317-26, 2006