Imaging and theranostics

In some circumstances, there can be utility in having the drug delivery system also provide diagnostic information about the site it is delivered to. Also, it may be useful to be able to track the distribution of the delivery system in the patient, or within a tumor. To these ends, we have developed nanoparticles capable Read More …

Surface modification

Surfaces can be modified to enable or modify interactions between tissues and biomaterials. We have modified surfaces so that irradiation with near-infrared leads to the release of reactive oxygen species, killing bacteria and platelets; such systems could be useful from cleansing indwelling devices in vivo. Different modifications enhanced the biointegration of prosthetic corneas. We have Read More …

Ocular drug delivery

We have developed a number of drug delivery systems for a range of ocular conditions. Our drug eluting contact lens, developed with alumnus Joseph Ciolino at the MEEI, can deliver therapeutic amounts of drug to the anterior chamber over extended periods. Payloads we have delivered to date include latanoprost for glaucoma, steroids for a variety Read More …

Treatment of sepsis

We have developed blood-filtering devices for incorporation within extracorporeal circuits, which selectively remove harmful molecules from the blood of patients rendered critically ill by the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The luminal surfaces of these devices are modified with antibodies to specific circulating cytokines, which remove them from circulating blood that is passed through the Read More …

Trans-tympanic drug delivery

Otitis media affects almost all children, creating a huge medical burden. Current treatment consists of ten days of oral antibiotics. This regimen is hard to implement in toddlers, frequently causes side effects such as diarrhea, and may select for drug-resistant bacteria. We have developed a therapy that would be applied to the tympanic membrane once, Read More …

Targeted and triggered drug delivery systems

We have a strong interest in improving the therapeutic index of drug delivery systems by enhancing the spatiotemporal precision with which they can be targeted to diseased areas, and/or by controlling when and where they are triggered to release drugs. We have a strong interest in improving the therapeutic index of drug delivery systems by enhancing Read More …

Pain and Related Topics

We have developed sustained release systems to deliver local anesthetic to provide prolonged duration local anesthesia – lasting days to weeks. We have developed sustained release systems to deliver local anesthetic to provide prolonged duration local anesthesia – lasting days to weeks. Site 1 sodium channel blockers such as tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin, and neosaxitoxin, are of Read More …