(3w) Interdisciplinary Approach to the Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Inhalable Therapeutics

Infections and diseases of the respiratory system contribute
to morbidity and mortality in both the developing and the developed world.  The therapeutic advantages of inhalable
therapeutic treatment of respiratory diseases include the application of the therapeutic
to the site of infection which enables a high localized concentration of
therapeutic with low systemic exposure. However, the successful development of
inhalable therapeutics requires the ability to successfully formulate the
therapeutic into an inhalable form, the successful deposition of the material
into specific respiratory regions, and controlled interactions of the material
with extracellular and cellular environments. The solution to these challenges
requires the expertise and interaction of multiple disciplines including:
material science, engineering, molecular biology, immunology, pharmaceutics,
and physiology.

My graduate and post-doctoral experiences in chemical
engineering and pharmaceutics have uniquely prepared me to tackle these challenges.
For drug delivery vehicle design, I have synthesized biodegradable polymers and
used these to encapsulate antibiotics and proteins into particles on both the
micron and nano scales. I have also used
oligosaccharides from the surface of non-typeable
Haemophilus influenzae
and polyethylene glycol to modify the surfaces of polystyrene nanospheres to provide cell targeting and mucosal avoidance,
respectively. The extracellular and cellular interactions of these particles
were evaluated utilizing in vitro models
of the upper respiratory tract, mucosal secretions, and alveolar macrophages.

To supplement the in
vitro experience, translational studies into particle aerosolization
and aggregation of dry powder formulations have provided an understanding of deposition
and distribution of inhalable therapeutic formulations. Combining this
knowledge with my experience with human respiratory physiological measurements provides me with the tools required to address the challenge
of designing inhalable therapeutic delivery systems for treatments of
respiratory diseases.