(4o) 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 biodistribution, extracellular and cellular interactions of particles were evaluated utilizing in vivo murine models and 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.