This award by the Biomaterial program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Illinois Chicago is to develop a basic understanding of the materials-science basis for a new polymer-based technology to deliver a cocktail of therapeutic drugs locally to the sites of complex diseases such as brain tumors. Previous generations of polymeric drug-delivery vehicles have faced difficult challenges in encapsulation efficiency of expensive drugs, protecting the bioavailability of delicate protein drugs, and independent tuning of release profiles of multiple drugs for optimum therapeutic effect. Toroidal-spiral particles (donut shaped spiral particles - TSP) solve these problems via the novel internal structure and mechanism of particle formation and drug loading. The visually appealing nature of the experimental and computational results, as well as the societal relevance of the biomedical applications, represents a natural draw for high school students being recruited into chemical engineering. Publicity for educational modules and broader dissemination will occur through: 1) direct outreach to 21 Chicagoland high schools; 2) the annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers Chicago Section Student Symposium; and 3) "Science Minors" student workshops co-organized by the Principal Investigator and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
This award enables research into key materials - science and functionality issues needed to unlock the technological and societal impact of a new polymeric platform for multi-drug delivery: toroidal-spiral particles (TSP). The toroidal-spiral (TS) structure of the particles is self-assembled through competitive kinetics of drop sedimentation, diffusion, and cross-linking. During the formation of the TSP, macromolecules such as therapeutic proteins and oligonucleotides can be auto-entrained into the TS channel, while a small molecular drug can be pre-blended into the polymer drops. Upon solidification into particles, the release of each compound occurs through a separate pathway and can be manipulated independently to reach therapeutic synergy. This project will address three main, enabling aspects of TSP technology: (1) enhance many further biomedical and biotechnical applications, tunable biodegradation of TSP will be studied and measured; (2) independent manipulation of release profiles of cytotoxic drug versus therapeutic proteins will combine laboratory measurements with computational models to ascertain the structure-release relation and to optimize structures for biomedical applications; and (3) in vitro characterization the cellular association and activity of agents released from TSP will use model cell lines for brain tumors and endothelial tissue. In addition to multidisciplinary training of the graduate research assistants involved, fostering undergraduate research opportunities (emphasizing underrepresented minority student participation) and spin-offs in undergraduate engineering education, this project offers multiple avenues for outreach and dissemination among Chicago and grade 6-12 and community-college students.
