The primary objective of the proposed project is to prepare surface supportive porous inorganic framework thin films that have superior properties for drug delivery. The second objective, which helps with the realization of the first one, is to identify and better understand the chemical and structural features that have the greatest impact on the drug loading and releasing conditions. To accomplish these objectives, the PI proposes to modify and identify suitable surface platforms (with specific chemical features) that can be used to attach selective iron-containing metal organic framework (Fe-MOF) thin films. These biodegradable Fe-MOFs are composed of Fe(III) clusters and various organic ligands as struts forming three-dimensional porous structures. The organic nodes can also serve as binding sites to crosslink with functionalized metal substrates. The drug loading/releasing with surface-supportive Fe-MOF thin films will be examined by spectroscopic and microscopic methods. We will also evaluate the toxicity and mechanical durability of these Fe- MOF coatings. The performance of these iron-containing inorganic frameworks as drug carriers will be studied in vitro using surface techniques. The knowledge acquired from these initial studies will be beneficial for the future in vivo studies of applying these Fe-MOF thin films as potential drug-eluting stent coatings. In addition, the project aims to enhance the scientific understanding of surface and interface interactions between porous hybrid materials and assorted therapeutic agents. These results will lead to new insights and guide the material design for future drug- eluting stents. The proposed research activities will provide excellent health-related research- education opportunities for students in a minority serving institution like ours, which will bring a significant positive impact to our community.
A significant proportion of patients are under high risk of thrombosis caused by polymer-based drug-eluting stent (DES) implantations. We aim to overcome this problem through the development of biodegradable metal-organic framework thin films that are suitable for chemical binding on metal stents to release drugs at a controlled manner. Ultimately, we hope this type of inorganic thin film coating will shift the paradigm of current DES drug delivery systems, and will benefit those who suffer from vascular diseases and need a stent.
