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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Theranostics For Antiretroviral Biodistribution And Pharmacokinetics, Brendan M. Ottemann Dec 2019

Theranostics For Antiretroviral Biodistribution And Pharmacokinetics, Brendan M. Ottemann

Theses & Dissertations

RATIONALE: Our laboratories birthed the field of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) theranostics. The new field allows simultaneous detection (diagnostics) and treatment (therapeutic) for the identification, treatment and inevitable elimination of virus in cell and tissue compartments. By employing theranostics, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can be tracked in lymph nodes, gut, spleen and liver. Cellular viral reservoirs including CD4+ T cell populations and mononuclear phagocytes (MP; monocytes, macrophages, microglia and dendritic cells) along with subcellular endosomal structures can now be targeted for drug delivery bringing therapeutics to areas where virus replicates. The overarching idea rests in improving precision targeted ARV delivery. …


Engineering Hyaluronic Acid For Biomedical Applications, Deep S. Bhattacharya Dec 2019

Engineering Hyaluronic Acid For Biomedical Applications, Deep S. Bhattacharya

Theses & Dissertations

This work presents research using the naturally available non- sulfated carbohydrate glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA) for the synthesis of different chemical derivatives of HA for evaluation of binding kinetics with CD44 and P- selectin proteins for applications in fluorescence image-guided surgery. Chemical derivatives of HA such as deacetylated HA (deHA), sulfated HA (sHA), and deacetylated and sulfated HA (s-deHA) were synthesized by modulating sulfating and deacetylating reagents to alter binding specificities to CD44. Modified HA derivatives and CD44 biophysical interactions were assessed by fluorescence polarization. In silico techniques were also used to determine binding using molecular docking and MM-PBSA approaches. …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Long-Acting Rilpivirine Prodrugs, James R. Hilaire Aug 2019

Synthesis And Characterization Of Long-Acting Rilpivirine Prodrugs, James R. Hilaire

Theses & Dissertations

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires lifelong daily dosing to suppress viral replication, restore or maintain immune function and improve quality of life. As an alternative, long-acting (LA) antiretrovirals (ARVs) aim to deliver therapeutic drug concentrations over an extended period, ultimately requiring monthly or even more extended dosing intervals. Specifically, the success of recent clinical trials examining LA cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CAB and RPV LA) highlight the advent of these novel HIV-1 therapeutics. Further optimization of LA dosage forms are required and rests upon improving dosing frequency, injection volumes and tissue distribution to viral compartments. To this end, we report the synthesis …


Synthesis And Characterization Of A Long-Acting Emtricitabine Prodrug Nanoformulation, Ibrahim M. Ibrahim May 2019

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Long-Acting Emtricitabine Prodrug Nanoformulation, Ibrahim M. Ibrahim

Theses & Dissertations

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy led to a paradigm shift in the management of HIV/AIDS changing a disease considered “a death sentence” to “a manageable chronic disease”. Nevertheless, challenges exist for successful treatment of HIV, including patient adherence to the complex daily regimens and the inability of current formulations to target viral sanctuaries. Introduction of nanoformulated antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a promising alternative to tackle these challenges. Our laboratory has been focusing on developing long-acting (LA) nanoformulated antiretrovirals and has succeeded in developing LA integrase inhibitors. However, challenges for this approach extend to a range of short-acting hydrophilic …


Long-Acting Nanoformulated Small Molecule Inhibitor Prodrugs For Antiviral Treatment And Prevention, Nathan Smith May 2019

Long-Acting Nanoformulated Small Molecule Inhibitor Prodrugs For Antiviral Treatment And Prevention, Nathan Smith

Theses & Dissertations

Over 30 years of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) outcomes from certain death to a nearly complete and normal life. Though disease growth has slowed, the virus still creates substantial co-morbid diseases as well as social and economic burdens worldwide. Lack of success with curative efforts combined with shortcomings in global treatment remain to be properly addressed. The requirement for daily use of combination antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in low to middle income countries - where the majority of the HIV-1 positive population resides - can lead to breaks in regimen adherence due to a …


Polymeric Chloroquine: Modifying An Old Drug To Make It A Little Sweeter, Richard Sleightholm May 2019

Polymeric Chloroquine: Modifying An Old Drug To Make It A Little Sweeter, Richard Sleightholm

Theses & Dissertations

Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is a clinically used polysaccharide colloidal plasma volume expander. The goal of this study was to synthesize HES modified with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a novel polymeric drug with the ability to inhibit the invasive character of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. HES was conjugated with HCQ using a simple carbonyldiimidazole coupling to prepare Chloroquine-modified HES (CQ-HES). CQ-HES with various degrees of HCQ substitution were synthesized and characterized. In vitro studies showed CQ-HES to have a similar toxicity profile as HCQ. Confocal microscopy revealed the propensity of CQ-HES to localize to lysosomes, and mechanistic studies confirmed the ability of …


Development Of A Long-Acting Nanoformulation Of Dolutegravir For Prevention And Treatment Of Hiv-1 Infection, Brady Sillman May 2019

Development Of A Long-Acting Nanoformulation Of Dolutegravir For Prevention And Treatment Of Hiv-1 Infection, Brady Sillman

Theses & Dissertations

Dolutegravir (DTG) is a potent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) with a high barrier to viral drug resistance. However, opportunities to improve its profile abound. These include extending the drug’s apparent half-life, increasing penetrance to “putative” viral reservoirs, and reducing inherent toxicities. These highlight, in part, the need for long-acting, slow effective release antiretroviral therapy (LASER ART) delivery schemes. A long-acting (LA) DTG was made by synthesizing a hydrophobic and lipophilic prodrug encased with poloxamer (P407) surfactant. This modified DTG (MDTG) reduced systemic metabolism and polarity, increased lipophilicity and membrane permeability, improved encapsulation, and formed …