Digital Commons Network^™

Shape Memory Alloy Capsule Micropump For Drug Delivery Applications, Youssef Mohamed Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

Implantable drug delivery devices have many benefits over traditional drug administration techniques and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. By delivering the medication directly to the tissue, they enable the use of larger localized concentrations, enhancing the efficacy of the treatment. Passive-release drug delivery systems, one of the various ways to provide medication, are great inventions. However, they cannot dispense the medication on demand since they are nonprogrammable. Therefore, active actuators are more advantageous in delivery applications. Smart material actuators, however, have greatly increased in popularity for manufacturing wearable and implantable micropumps due to their high energy …

Development Of An Electromagnetic System For Wireless Magnetic Manipulation Of Soft Capsule Endoscope For Drug Delivery Applications, Nada Ashraf Hussein Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a remarkable diagnostic device that examines the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The WCE is a small capsule integrated with a camera that is used to visualize the inner mucosa of the GI tract. WCE has been proven to be the most effective method to diagnose GI diseases and GI cancers. The procedure reduces the discomfort and risk compared to conventional endoscopy methods. However, current WCEs lack the ability to take a biopsy or deliver a drug to a specific location. Those therapeutic functions can be introduced by wirelessly controlled WCEs. This thesis introduces an electromagnetic system …

A Novel Magnetorheological Pump Concept For Insulin Delivery, Mohammad Towhidul Islam Rimon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, awareness of type 1 diabetes has significantly increased, leading to a comprehensive understanding of various aspects, including its genetics, epidemiology, and disease burden. According to the Type 1 Diabetic Index, about 8.7 million people around the world live with this long-term autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycemia. However, the increased availability and utilization of artificial pancreas systems could potentially save 673,000 lives by 2040. Although, the advancement of diabetes technology offers Type 1 diabetic patients more tools to enhance glycemic management and achieve effective outcomes, many patients are still hesitant to adopt …

Interfacial Properties Of Hybrid Lipid-Polymer Bilayers: Applications In Drug Delivery And Biosensors, Keith L. Willes

Theses and Dissertations

Amphiphilic block copolymers are unique macro-molecules capable of self-assembling into bilayers analogous to naturally occurring lipid membranes. When combined with lipids, these copolymers form hybrid membranes with unique and sometimes unpredictable properties, including increased chemical and mechanical stability. These synthetically enhanced biological structures represent a versatile platform suitable for a wide range of applications, from advanced biosensing devices to drug delivery systems. The realization of these advancements necessitates a deep understanding of material properties, including the ability to predict and control interfacial behaviors. It has been shown that in the case of pure lipid membranes, interfacial behaviors are dominated by …

Leveraging Magnetic Nanoparticles And Photothermal Heating For On-Chip Processing Of Therapeutic Exosomes, Siddhant Parwal

Engineering Undergraduate Senior Theses

Drug delivery is a key area of therapeutic development that focuses on delivery of active agents to target tissues while minimizing off-target toxicities. Current methods have drawbacks including immunogenicity and suboptimal tissue targeting. Exosomes have gained attention as an ideal delivery molecule due to their high biocompatibility, cargo agnostic nature, and innate targeting ability. The current roadblock for exosomes as a therapeutic modality is the unscalable and inefficient manufacturing paradigm.

We validate a developed microfluidic device for integrated isolation and therapeutic loading of exosomes from native biofluid. The developed system captures exosomes by use of anti-exosome antibodies conjugated to magnetic, …

Development Of Artificial Lipids For Metal Ion-Responsive Liposomes And Related Medicinal Applications, Ruhani Sagar

Doctoral Dissertations

Liposomes are synthetic vesicles made of phospholipids that are effective for wide-ranging applications in drug delivery and studying biological membranes. Understanding and controlling membrane properties such as fluidity and permeability is crucial for designing liposomes for specific biomedical applications. Pathological changes in these properties can also help us gain insights into disease mechanisms and develop effective treatments. In this dissertation, we describe the design, synthesis, and study of several lipid analogs for a range of applications including liposome triggered cargo release and therapeutic treatment related to lipids.

In Chapters 2-3, we developed smart liposome platforms that can respond to changes …

Pamam- Cyclodextrin Conjugate Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor In Arpe-19 Cells, Gopika Ashokan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major contributor to death and disability due to motorvehicle accidents, sports, physical abuse, and battlefield injuries. The primary insult to the brain leads to inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the brain as well as in the eye. This leads to loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) and downregulation of Brain derived Neurotopic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a neurotrophic factor that binds to Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) receptor to promote cell growth, survival, and differentiation. Current treatment strategies do not promote neuronal regeneration. Therefore, novel treatments are needed to restore vision …

Synthesis And Biomedical Applications Of Hollow Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Aloka S. Paragoda Arachchilage

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nano-scale materials have gained much attention during the past few decades due to the stark differences in their properties compared to bulk material. Thus, they are being studied for a myriad of applications ranging from harnessing solar energy to diagnostics. This thesis focuses on the synthesis of hollow iron oxide nanoparticles using Galvanic replacement reactions and their application in drug delivery. Moreover, the use of a peptide precursor for the enhancement of exosomes is also discussed.

Chapter 1 discusses a simple and economical Galvanic approach used for the synthesis of hollow one-dimensional iron oxide nanotubes. In the initial reaction, the …

Self-Assembled Ternary Polypeptide Nanoparticles With Improved Biostability For Drug Delivery In Cancer Therapy, Preye Mike Agbana

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Cancer remains a real and present threat to global health. In the United States, according to cancer statistics, almost 40% of people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Conventional chemotherapy has become the mainstay for cancer treatment option. However, chemotherapeutic agents are plagued with problems such as poor aqueous solubility, chemical degradation, Bio instability, and off-site toxicity due to non-specificity. New drug modalities are needed to tackle the ever-growing burden on cancer. In recent times, the promise of nanotechnology has aided to develop drug delivery vehicles to facilitate the administration of potent chemotherapeutics. Nanoformulations such …

Right Treatment Wrong Time: Immunotherapy Administration Post-Radiotherapy Decreases Tumor Burden In A Preclinical Model Of Brain Metastasis, Kathryn Elizabeth Blethen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation (a) provided an in-depth literature review of methods to modulate the blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers to increase drug delivery and efficacy in brain metastases, (b) evaluated the effects of whole-brain radiation therapy on the blood-brain barrier in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse models and proposed a mechanism by which the immune response to radiation disrupts the blood-brain barrier, and (c) developed a syngeneic lung cancer brain metastasis model to determine the impact of coordinated immunotherapy administration with radiotherapy. The blood-brain barrier is an impediment to drug delivery to the brain. The inherent leakiness of the blood-tumor barrier does not …

Developing Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Based Stimuli-Responsive Nanocarriers For Delivery Of Small Molecule Therapeutics Against Colon Cancer Cells, Nisitha Lakmal Wellala Wijewantha

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation delves into the innovative application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for targeted drug delivery in colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer worldwide. The initial focus of the research is on developing enzyme-responsive MSNs loaded with veratridine (VTD), an alkaloid derived from natural sources that demonstrates potent anticancer activity. The nanoparticles have been engineered to deliver VTD selectively to CRC cells, releasing the payload upon being exposed to specific enzymes primarily secreted by these cells. This strategy has dual advantages of amplifying the anticancer effects while minimizing potential side effects on healthy …

Engineer And Test A Biodegradable Microneedle Patch To Deliver Meloxicam For Managing Pain In Cattle, Katherine Alejandra Miranda Munoz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microneedle patches are a promising source for transdermal diffusion of macromolecules and are designed to painlessly penetrate the skin. In this study, a biodegradable chitosan microneedle patch to deliver meloxicam for managing pain in cattle was tested. The potential of reuse of the polymeric solution to fabricate the patches, optimization of fabrication, morphological analysis of the microneedle patch and analysis of preservation of the chemical composition after sterilization were evaluated. In-vitro analysis consisted of studying in-vitro penetration mechanical properties, compression testing analysis of microneedle patch, and in-vitro drug release analysis. In-vivo studies were performed to analyze the dissolution capability of …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Force Spun Polymeric Nanofiber For Drug Delivery And Tissue Engineering Applications, Salahuddin Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development and characterization of polymeric nanofiber for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. In this study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA), Poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA), and Pullulan(PL) were used as the base polymers to develop the nanofiber. Bioactive components Oleanolic acid(OA), Oxymatrine(OM), and Salvianolic Acid(SA) were incorporated in PLGA, PVA, and PL, respectively, via solution mixing. The nano fiber systems were developed using the Forcespinning® method. Morphological, thermo-physical, and biological properties of the fiber mats were analyzed. The composite fiber system containing OA showed a very high drug loading efficiency. The composite fiber system containing high concentration of …

An Integrated Electronic-Skin Patch For Real-Time And Continuous Monitoring Of A Panel Of Biomarkers Combined With Drug Delivery, Tanzila Noushin

Electrical Engineering Theses

Inflammatory biomarkers present in the human body play a vital role in medical field by guiding the clinician in decision-making for many diseases. The levels of these inflammatory biomarkers are associated with the severity and progress of several diseases. Researchers have found that increasing severity of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, after surgery infection, and adverse clinical outcomes due to infectious diseases, results in the elevation of the level of inflammatory biomarkers in human sweat. Furthermore, the inflammatory cytokines indicate the pathophysiology and prognosis of critically ill SARS‑CoV‑2 patients. In this thesis work, different sensors have been developed for …

Conducting Polypyrrole Hydrogel Biomaterials For Drug Delivery And Cartilage Tissue Regeneration, Iryna Liubchak

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Articular cartilage tissue has limited capacity for self-regeneration leading to challenges in the treatment of joint injuries and diseases such as osteoarthritis. The tissue engineering approach combines biomaterials, cells and bioactive molecules to provide a long-term and stable cartilage repair. In the following work, electroactive polymer polypyrrole~(PPy) was incorporated into the synthetic hydrogel to enhance the mechanical properties of the material for cartilage applications. PPy was loaded with drug compound and the \emph{on demand} drug release was demonstrated. The composite PPy hydrogel was 3D printed using stereolithography to create a porous tissue engineering scaffold. Biocompatibility and cell adhesion to the …

Developing And Characterizing A Novel Tempo Cnf Hydrogel Adjuvant And Delivery System For Aquatic Vaccines, Kora Kukk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aquaculture is a large part of the food production sector which is greatly expanding. One of the largest losses in aquaculture is due to pathogens. Current solutions for protecting farmed finfish from pathogens can be very expensive with variable efficiency. Current disease prevention strategies include vaccination. Types of vaccines include immersion vaccines, feed vaccines, and injectable vaccines. The most popular solution is oil-based injectable vaccines due to its protection. However, the oil-based adjuvant used in most of these formulations causes adverse reactions in the fish including reduced growth. These vaccines require multiple administrations throughout the fish’s lifetime causing unwanted handling …

Implantable Medical Devices For Local Drug Delivery And Tissue Regeneration To Combat Chronic Bacterial Infection, Caroline J. Billings

Doctoral Dissertations

Local drug delivery has been an area of exceptional interest in the treatment of chronic bacterial infections, particularly in areas where there are medical implants placed. Medical implants are widely utilized and are becoming increasingly popular with time. With the increasing use of medical implants, concomitant bacterial infection is also increasing, and this type of bacterial infection can be exceedingly difficult to clear. The following body of work focuses on implant-associated bacterial infection, with an emphasis on chronic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection, particularly osteomyelitis. Specifically, this work is focused within the scope of utilizing locally implantable medical …

Influence Of Paclitaxel Nanomedicine On The Pancreatic Tumor Immune Components, Godwin Peasah-Darkwah

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities in the U.S due to ineffective therapeutic options. Pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic and inhibit efficient uptake of therapeutic payloads. Paclitaxel (PTX) has been tested in PanCa therapy with marginally better clinical outcomes, but remain limited by its poor hemocompatibility, biodistribution and intracellular accumulation in tumor cells. Thus, we synthesized a next generation nanoparticle system for PTX to improve its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) in treating PanCa. We also examined ability of the nano formulation to potentiate gemcitabine (GEM) activity in combating chemoresistance in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment …

Engineering Hydrogels For Delivery Of Therapeutic Proteins, Francesca Briggs, Daryn Browne

Bioengineering Senior Theses

In this project, we investigate how innate hydrogel properties can be leveraged for controlled protein drug release platforms. Therapeutic proteins have many valuable applications within the medical field, however, professionals often face many obstacles with obtaining controlled drug release. This paper analyzes how the manipulation of hydrogel properties can improve protein drug release rates. We started these investigations by varying hydrogel concentrations since we saw that this affects the release of small molecules. Additionally, we wanted to see what the addition of a second hydrogel network would do to protein release rates. These experiments concluded that raising polymer concentrations and …

The Use Of Silica Nanoparticles For Controlled Drug Delivery Of Nicotine, Jennifer C. Iwenofu

Honors College Theses

Drug molecules can be administered in different ways to the human body. Nanotechnology stands out over other alternatives by delivering drugs to specific locations and reducing reactivity time. In this research, the hydrogen bond between silica nanoparticles and the drug molecule, nicotine, were studied to controllably deliver nicotine by varying pH values.

Effect Of Chemical And Physical Enhancers On The Skin Permeation Of Cromolyn Sodium, Miranda Holman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cromolyn sodium (CS) has clinically shown to be an effective topical remedy for atopic dermatitis, however its physiochemical properties prevent efficient passive drug delivery beyond the outermost skin layer. This project aimed to optimize CS gel formulations and applications to improve drug delivery to the dermis of skin by examining various topical enhancement strategies. Oleic acid, salcaprozate sodium, and microneedles were investigated as enhancers for their effect on skin permeation of CS. In vitro permeation studies across dermatomed porcine ear skin tested CS gels to determine 24-hour drug permeation profiles and skin layer distribution of drug. Further, extraction method efficiency, …

Development Of Stimuli-Responsive Liposomes For Drug Delivery Applications, Jinchao Lou

Doctoral Dissertations

Liposomes are spherical nano-assemblies that are proven to be effective drug delivery vehicles. Due to their unique bilayer structures, they are able to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in their aqueous inner core and membrane bilayers, respectively. While liposomal delivery platforms exbibit numerous advantages, the therapeutic efficacy of these platforms would be enhanced by developing triggered release strategies such that one can tune the timing and location of the cargo release in a controlled manner. In this dissertation, we mainly present the development of stimuli-responsive liposomes targeting different disease-associated metabolites utilizing rationally designed synthetic lipid switches.

In Chapter 2, …

Investigating Ionic Current Rectification As A Means Of Controllable Drug Delivery Using Silica Nanoparticles And Nano Porous Membranes, Katie L. Nolan

Honors College Theses

This project investigates a novel ionic current rectification (ICR) phenomenon created by the opening and closing of nanopores by charged silica nanoparticles (SNPs) under electrophoretic flow. This voltage-controlled opening and closing of the pores can be exploited to allow delivery of nicotine through the pores at programmable intervals. The ICR phenomenon was thoroughly investigated by varying pH, buffer concentration, SNP concentration, and applied voltage range. The mechanism was also verified by testing with a 2-, 3-, and 5-electrode system. Potential cake layer formation was demonstrated in a longer ICR test, and the implications of this on the drug delivery mechanism …

Targeting Platelets Using Ionic Liquid Coated Nanoparticles, Karen Mun Wong

Honors Theses

Platelets are key players in our body’s inflammatory processes upon activation, which can create physiological problems. Researchers are actively seeking solutions by targeting platelets with therapeutics. The objective of the research in this thesis was to investigate a new and potentially less invasive drug delivery platform using nanoparticles. The topic of the project was to explore the world of ionic liquids and their abilities, when coated on nanoparticles, to bind to platelets. A library of choline carboxylic acid-based ionic liquids (ILs) was first synthesized via salt metathesis while PLGA-based nanoparticles were simultaneously being synthesized via the nanoprecipitation method. The ionic …

Investigation Of Cell Derived Nanoparticles For Drug Delivery And Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Stem/Stromal Cells, Shruthi Polla Ravi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The successful repair of bone defects and injuries is enhanced by the delivery of osteoinductive factors, such as drugs, growth factors, and genetic material that can promote the osteogenic differentiation of stem/stromal cells into osteoblasts. Nanoparticle delivery systems are being studied to enable the sustained release of these factors but suffer from limitations such as cytotoxicity issues, poor loading capacity, and poor cellular uptake. In this project, we developed cell-derived nanoparticles (CDNs), a biomimetic nanoparticle delivery system with high drug loading efficiency, to deliver a glucocorticoid drug, dexamethasone (Dex), to promote the osteogenic differentiation of stem/stromal cells. The synthesized Dex-loaded …

Liposomal Technologies To Improve Gene Delivery, David Nardo Padron

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Lipid based nanoparticles (LBNs) are used in myriad applications in medicine from small molecule drug delivery to mRNA vaccines. A major contributing factor to the development of the field has been the ongoing development of novel compounds that retain the functionality of natural lipids but expand upon them through inclusion of functional moieties that can be applied to specific scientific and biomedical questions. In the body of this dissertation, an extensive overview of LBNs is provided, focusing primarily on their use in immune modulation. The research presented herein begins with the synthesis of a novel class of lipids based on …

Exploiting Modulation Of The Blood-Brain And Blood-Tumor Barrier Permeability By Translational Focused Ultrasound For Therapeutic Delivery To Cns Metastases, Tasneem A. Arsiwala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Transcranial low-intensity focused ultrasound is a unique technology to modulate the integrity of tight endothelial junctions and transiently increase BBB/BTB permeability to enhance therapeutic delivery. Despite promising early studies, present literature lacks agreement on key experimental conditions, which restricts our knowledge and the technique's widespread translation. This dissertation first provides a critical review of the current gaps in knowledge regarding the universal use of LiFUS in preclinical and clinical use. We then identify key parameters for translational and predictable opening of the BBB using a 3T MRI coupled with a clinical device. Our investigation highlights that passive permeability of the …

Novel Ultrasound Shearing-Based Fabrication Method For Nanobubble Synthesis In Gene And Drug Delivery Systems, Tara M. Pattilachan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This project introduces a novel ultrasonic shearing-based fabrication method for synthesizing nanobubbles, which can then be utilized as a platform for any theranostic applications in clinical medicine, such as drug/gene delivery systems. Our standard in situ sonochemical synthesis of nanobubbles incorporates a perfluorocarbon gas core (300 μl) and an albumin outer shell, which are then incorporated into phosphate-buffered saline (4 ml) and later sonicated with a US probe. The initial optimization phase consisted of experimenting with various amounts of human serum albumin (HSA), which stabilizes the nanobubble gas core. Of the parameters (20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg HSA), …

Liposomes: Production And Applications For Controlled Drug Delivery, Gamid Abatchev

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation recognizes the enormous potential presented by the ever-evolving development of liposomes as drug carriers and seeks to offer further investigation into their useful production and utilization. The first chapter presents the basic principles governing their formation by self-assembly in water solutions, briefly describes the most common production methods, and points out essential past advances that led to their use as drug carriers. Chapter two exemplifies production of liposomes by the traditional methods of extrusion and sonication, detailing passive and active loading, as well as physical characterization by Dynamic Light Scattering, microscopy imaging, and fluorescence spectroscopy. In the next …

Protein-Based Nanofibers And Thin Films For Drug Delivery Applications, Christopher R. Gough

Theses and Dissertations

Corn zein and silk are both widely available, easy to extract proteins making them valuable replacements for synthetics. Zein and silk are also promising biomaterials in several applications. This work explores the use of both proteins as drug delivery vehicles by loading 1-Dimensional micro-nanofibers and 2-Dimensional thin films with model drugs or the topical therapeutic sodium citrate. Using a formic acid solvent, powdered zein protein or silk fibers were dissolved into solution and then casted into 2D films or spun into 1D fibers through air-spraying. During dissolution, therapeutic products are added. SEM images showed that fibers maintain their small diameter …