Dmitri Rusakov
University College London, United Kingdom
Title: Nanocapsulated Drug delivery for nerve treatment and beyond
Biography
Biography: Dmitri Rusakov
Abstract
Targeted drug delivery is a high-priority issue in the emerging concept of precision medicine. We have been developing a breakthrough methodology involving nano-engineered biodegradable polymer microcapsules (0.5-2 µm in diameter) that carries medicinal cargo and are equipped with controllable biophysical and cargo-release properties. Our aim has been to implement this technique in the targeted treatment of nervous tissue and potentially other complex tissues. In our recent studies, we have established nano-engineering tools and protocols to encapsulate releasable drugs relevant to neuronal control, with a wide range of parameters that control capsule permeability. In the case study, we used patch-clamp electrophysiology to document physiological effects of encapsulated sodium channel blocker QX-314 on excitability of nerve cells in culture. In experiments on intact animals, we have established beneficial longer-term effects of encapsulated QX-314 injected in vivo, using a standard behavioral model of inflammation-induced peripheral hypersensitivity in the rat. Building upon these advances, we are currently advancing to optimize preparation, delivery and release of encapsulated anesthetics agents, attempting to establish the underlying physiological mechanisms, controlling factors, and a feasible application scope pertinent to this methodology. Our quest should pave the way for exploring future clinical trials involving microencapsulated drug delivery.
