About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Drug-delivery System Devised by Indian-origin Researcher may Improve Inflammatory Diseases Treatment

by Rajashri on August 25, 2008 at 4:10 PM
 Drug-delivery System Devised by Indian-origin Researcher may Improve Inflammatory Diseases Treatment

Biodegradable polymers called polyketals have been developed by a Georgia Tech researcher of Indian origin. These polymers may improve treatment for acute inflammatory illnesses by delivering therapeutics to disease locations in the body.

Niren Murthy, an assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, describes his team's polyketal microparticles as a vehicle to get the drugs inside the body to the diseased area as quickly as possible.

Advertisement

The researcher says that the major advantage to using these polyketals to deliver drugs is that they degrade into biocompatible compounds that do not accumulate in a patient's tissue or cause additional inflammation.

He further says that the new polymer has the advantage of stability in both acids and bases, and that it degrades only in the presence of reactive oxygen species that are present in and around inflamed tissue.
Advertisement

Murthy and his colleagues are collaborating with Didier Merlin, a professor in the Division of Digestive Diseases at Emory University, to investigate loading these polyketals with therapeutics to treat inflammatory bowel disease, an illness that causes the large and small intestines to swell.

"We think these microparticles are going to be fantastic for oral drug delivery because they can survive the stomach conditions before they release their contents in the intestines," he said.

The researchers are also examining the use of polyketals to treat acute liver failure, a condition when the liver stops functioning because macrophages in the liver create reactive oxygen species.

"Patients with acute liver failure need drugs as soon as possible or else they'll die. We've tailored the polyketal's hydrolysis rates to deliver the drug in one or two days," Murthy said.

The researchers also have a method to deliver proteins to a diseased organ to treat other illnesses.

"Delivering proteins inside microparticles has been limited because getting the protein into the microparticles required organic solvents that frequently destroyed the proteins. To overcome this problem, we developed a method of simply immobilizing the protein on the surface of the microparticles," said Murthy.

While making a presentation at the 236th American Chemical Society National Meeting in Philadelphia recently, the researchers said that they would continue developing new polyketals in the next few years, and conducting efficacy tests in cell cultures and animal studies.

"In the past few years, we have developed methods to tailor the polyketal's properties, which have already allowed us to target many different medical conditions, but our end goal is to test these treatments in humans," said Murthy.

Source: ANI
RAS/L
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Research News

Brain Circuits That Shape Bedtime Rituals in Mice
New study sheds light on the intrinsic, yet often overlooked, role of sleep preparation as a hardwired survival strategy.
NELL-1 Protein Aids to Reduce Bone Loss in Astronauts
Microgravity-induced bone loss in space, can be reduced by systemic delivery of NELL-1, a protein required for bone growth and its maintenance.
Connecting Genetic Variants to the Alzheimer's Puzzle
Researchers establish connections between Alzheimer's-linked genetic alterations and the functioning of brain cells.
Gene Therapy Sparks Spinal Cord Regeneration
Team at NeuroRestore introduces a groundbreaking gene therapy that has effectively promoted nerve regrowth and reconnection, post spinal cord injury.
Unlocking the Gut Microbiome's Influence on Bone Density
Scientists aim to pinpoint particular functional pathways affected by these bacteria that may have an impact on skeletal health.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Drug-delivery System Devised by Indian-origin Researcher may Improve Inflammatory Diseases Treatment Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests