Michael Dunne, PhD

The central research theme of Dr. Dunne's lab is cell-based drug delivery. the Dunne Lab harnesses chemistry, materials science, bioengineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and immunology approaches in order to improve the delivery efficiency of therapeutic molecules to tumors, while sparing normal tissue.

Associations

• Immunology
• BioEngineering
• Immuno-Oncology Program

Education & Training

Graduate:

• University of Toronto, PhD - Pharmaceutical Sciences

Fellowship:

• Harvard University - BioEngineering

Dr. Dunne’s primary research interest is the development of technologies that improve the delivery efficiency of a wide range of therapeutics to solid tumors. Specifically, the Dune Lab focuses on using novel hydrogel materials in order to develop triggered-release, cell-based drug delivery therapeutics that modulate the tumor microenvironment in order to improve the efficacy of the current generation of cell and immuno-therapies. Additional research is focused on improving anti-cancer cell therapies by combining them with externally applied stimuli (e.g. radiotherapy, hyperthermia, and/or focused ultrasound) in order to alter immune cell accumulation and distribution within the tumor.

• Yilmaz AS, Pepe A, Castelli JE, Sawyer WG, Dunne M. Hydrogel-based cellular drug delivery systems as living therapeutics: Micro/nanogel design, fabrication, and controlled release. J Control Release. 2026 Sep.397:115130. Pubmedid: 42341988.
• Alonso-Matilla R, Pedro DI, Pepe A, Serrano-Velez J, Dunne M, Nguyen DT, Sawyer WG, Provenzano PP, Odde DJ. Biophysical modeling identifies an optimal hybrid amoeboid-mesenchymal mechanism for maximal T cell migration speeds. Cell Rep. 2026 Jan.45(1):116824. Pubmedid: 41528848. Pmcid: PMC12994749.
• Alonso-Matilla R, Pedro DI, Pepe A, Serrano-Velez J, Dunne M, Nguyen DT, Sawyer WG, Provenzano PP, Odde DJ. Biophysical modeling identifies an optimal hybrid amoeboid-mesenchymal mechanism for maximal T cell migration speeds. bioRxiv. 2025 Nov. Pubmedid: 39026744. Pmcid: PMC11257493.
• Kapate N, Dunne M, Gottlieb AP, Mukherji M, Suja VC, Prakash S, Park KS, Kumbhojkar N, Guerriero JL, Mitragotri S. Polymer Backpack-Loaded Tissue Infiltrating Monocytes for Treating Cancer. Adv Healthc Mater. 2025 Feb.14(5):e2304144. Pubmedid: 38581301.
• Wang LL, Gao Y, Chandran Suja V, Boucher ML, Shaha S, Kapate N, Liao R, Sun T, Kumbhojkar N, Prakash S, Clegg JR, Warren K, Janes M, Park KS, Dunne M, Ilelaboye B, Lu A, Darko S, Jaimes C, Mannix R, Mitragotri S. Preclinical characterization of macrophage-adhering gadolinium micropatches for MRI contrast after traumatic brain injury in pigs. Sci Transl Med. 2024 Jan.16(728):eadk5413. Pubmedid: 38170792.
• Kapate N, Liao R, Sodemann RL, Stinson T, Prakash S, Kumbhojkar N, Suja VC, Wang LL, Flanz M, Rajeev R, Villafuerte D, Shaha S, Janes M, Park KS, Dunne M, Golemb B, Hone A, Adebowale K, Clegg J, Slate A, McGuone D, Costine-Bartell B, Mitragotri S. Backpack-mediated anti-inflammatory macrophage cell therapy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury. PNAS Nexus. 2024 Jan.3(1):pgad434. Pubmedid: 38187808. Pmcid: PMC10768983.
• Curreri AM, Dunne M, Bibbey MG, Kapate N, Kim J, Mitragotri S. Localization of Intramuscular mRNA Delivery Using Deep Eutectic-Lipid Nanocomposites. Adv Healthc Mater. 2024 Aug.13(20):e2400327. Pubmedid: 38693774.
• Wang X, Regenold M, Dunne M, Bannigan P, Allen C. Data demonstrating the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of thermosensitive liposome formulations of a drug combination in pre-clinical models of breast cancer. Data Brief. 2023 Oct.50:109545. Pubmedid: 37767124. Pmcid: PMC10519820.
• Curreri AM, Kim J, Dunne M, Angsantikul P, Goetz M, Gao Y, Mitragotri S. Deep Eutectic Solvents for Subcutaneous Delivery of Protein Therapeutics. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2023 Mar.10(7):e2205389. Pubmedid: 36642846. Pmcid: PMC9982585.
• Wunker C, Piorkowska K, Keunen B, Babichev Y, Wong SM, Regenold M, Dunne M, Nomikos J, Siddiqui M, Pichardo S, Foltz W, Waspe AC, Gerstle JT, Gladdy RA. Magnetic Resonance-Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Generated Hyperthermia: A Feasible Treatment Method in a Murine Rhabdomyosarcoma Model. J Vis Exp. 2023 Jan.(191). Pubmedid: 36715427.
• Kapate N, Dunne M, Kumbhojkar N, Prakash S, Wang LL, Graveline A, Park KS, Chandran Suja V, Goyal J, Clegg JR, Mitragotri S. A backpack-based myeloid cell therapy for multiple sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Apr.120(17):e2221535120. Pubmedid: 37075071. Pmcid: PMC10151518.
• Kok LY, Bannigan P, Sanaee F, Evans JC, Dunne M, Regenold M, Ahmed L, Dubins D, Allen C. Development and pharmacokinetic evaluation of a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system for the oral delivery of cannabidiol. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2022 Jan.168:106058. Pubmedid: 34763088.
• Dunne M, Regenold M, Allen C. Hyperthermia can alter tumor physiology and improve chemo- and radio-therapy efficacy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2021 Sep.163-164:98-124. Pubmedid: 32681862.
• Epp-Ducharme B, Dunne M, Fan L, Evans JC, Ahmed L, Bannigan P, Allen C. Heat-activated nanomedicine formulation improves the anticancer potential of the HSP90 inhibitor luminespib in vitro. Sci Rep. 2021 May.11(1):11103. Pubmedid: 34045581. Pmcid: PMC8160139.
• Allen C, Dunne M. The power of integrating imaging throughout the drug development process. J Control Release. 2020 Jan.317:386-388. Pubmedid: 31870851.
• Regenold M, Steigenberger J, Siniscalchi E, Dunne M, Casettari L, Heerklotz H, Allen C. Determining critical parameters that influence in vitro performance characteristics of a thermosensitive liposome formulation of vinorelbine. J Control Release. 2020 Dec.328:551-561. Pubmedid: 32896612.
• Dunne M, Evans JC, Dewhirst MW, Allen C. The integration of hyperthermia and drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2020 Dec.163-164:1-2. Pubmedid: 33308488.
• Dunne M, Epp-Ducharme B, Sofias AM, Regenold M, Dubins DN, Allen C. Heat-activated drug delivery increases tumor accumulation of synergistic chemotherapies. J Control Release. 2019 Aug.308:197-208. Pubmedid: 31195059.
• Dunne M, Dou YN, Drake DM, Spence T, Gontijo SML, Wells PG, Allen C. Hyperthermia-mediated drug delivery induces biological effects at the tumor and molecular levels that improve cisplatin efficacy in triple negative breast cancer. J Control Release. 2018 Jul.282:35-45. Pubmedid: 29673642.
• Stapleton S, Dunne M, Milosevic M, Tran CW, Gold MJ, Vedadi A, Mckee TD, Ohashi PS, Allen C, Jaffray DA. Radiation and Heat Improve the Delivery and Efficacy of Nanotherapeutics by Modulating Intratumoral Fluid Dynamics. ACS Nano. 2018 Aug.12(8):7583-7600. Pubmedid: 30004666.
• Dou YN, Chaudary N, Chang MC, Dunne M, Huang H, Jaffray DA, Milosevic M, Allen C. Tumor microenvironment determines response to a heat-activated thermosensitive liposome formulation of cisplatin in cervical carcinoma. J Control Release. 2017 Sep.262:182-191. Pubmedid: 28760449.
• Cui L, Her S, Dunne M, Borst GR, De Souza R, Bristow RG, Jaffray DA, Allen C. Significant Radiation Enhancement Effects by Gold Nanoparticles in Combination with Cisplatin in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells and Tumor Xenografts. Radiat Res. 2017 Feb.187(2):147-160. Pubmedid: 28085639.
• Sofias AM, Dunne M, Storm G, Allen C. The battle of "nano" paclitaxel. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2017 Dec.122:20-30. Pubmedid: 28257998.
• Dou YN, Dunne M, Huang H, Mckee T, Chang MC, Jaffray DA, Allen C. Thermosensitive liposomal cisplatin in combination with local hyperthermia results in tumor growth delay and changes in tumor microenvironment in xenograft models of lung carcinoma. J Drug Target. 2016 Nov.24(9):865-877. Pubmedid: 27310112.
• Ekdawi SN, Stewart JM, Dunne M, Stapleton S, Mitsakakis N, Dou YN, Jaffray DA, Allen C. Spatial and temporal mapping of heterogeneity in liposome uptake and microvascular distribution in an orthotopic tumor xenograft model. J Control Release. 2015 Jun.207:101-111. Pubmedid: 25862513.
• Anayama T, Nakajima T, Dunne M, Zheng J, Allen C, Driscoll B, Vines D, Keshavjee S, Jaffray D, Yasufuku K. A novel minimally invasive technique to create a rabbit VX2 lung tumor model for nano-sized image contrast and interventional studies. PLoS One. 2014 Jan.8(6):e67355. Pubmedid: 23840673. Pmcid: PMC3696117.
• Huang H, Dunne M, Lo J, Jaffray DA, Allen C. Comparison of computed tomography- and optical image-based assessment of liposome distribution. Mol Imaging. 2013 May.12(3):148-160. Pubmedid: 23490441.
• Stapleton S, Milosevic M, Allen C, Zheng J, Dunne M, Yeung I, Jaffray DA. A mathematical model of the enhanced permeability and retention effect for liposome transport in solid tumors. PLoS One. 2013 Dec.8(12):e81157. Pubmedid: 24312530. Pmcid: PMC3846845.
• Dunne M, Zheng J, Rosenblat J, Jaffray DA, Allen C. APN/CD13-targeting as a strategy to alter the tumor accumulation of liposomes. J Control Release. 2011 Sep.154(3):298-305. Pubmedid: 21640146.
• Chithrani DB, Dunne M, Stewart J, Allen C, Jaffray DA. Cellular uptake and transport of gold nanoparticles incorporated in a liposomal carrier. Nanomedicine. 2010 Feb.6(1):161-169. Pubmedid: 19447206.
• Zheng J, Liu J, Dunne M, Jaffray DA, Allen C. In vivo performance of a liposomal vascular contrast agent for CT and MR-based image guidance applications. Pharm Res. 2007 Jun.24(6):1193-1201. Pubmedid: 17373581.
• Lee H, Zeng F, Dunne M, Allen C. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(delta-valerolactone) copolymer micelles for formulation of hydrophobic drugs. Biomacromolecules. 2005 Dec.6(6):3119-3128. Pubmedid: 16283736.

• Title: Soft Materials to Harness the Immune System for Targeted Drug Delivery
  Award Number:
  Sponsor: American Cancer Society, Inc. (ACS)
  Dunne, M. (PD/PI)