Transcript GGutierrez 2011 AMP Right

Gloria E. Gutierrez, M.D.
Principal Scientist
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division
Adjunct Associate Professor
Cellular and Structural Biology, UTHSCSA
Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Benefiting government, Industry & the Public
Through Innovative Science And Technology
"Research is to see
what everybody else has seen,
and to think
what nobody else has thought"
Technology on a Very Small Scale
Can be Chemistry, Physics or Biology
Will Likely Affect Vast Sectors of the Economy, from
Biotechnology and Healthcare to Energy, to Security
Single Hair
Width = 0.1 mm
= 100 micrometers
= 100,000 nanometers !
1 nanometer = one billionth (10-9) meter
BioInfoBank Institute T. Kuniawan
National Science Foundation
Goal :
• Achieve a desired pharmacological response at a
selected site without undesirable interaction at
other sites
•Decrease toxicity and occurrence of adverse
effects
Control the rate of drug release providing a more
predictable drug delivery system
Natural Statins
– Mevacor
– Pravachol
– Zocor
Synthetic Statins
– Lipitor
– Lescol
– Crestor
Most Widely Marketed Class of Drugs (30 Million People)
Coronary Heart Disease
Caused by Increased Cholesterol
Major Leading Cause of Death in Most Western Countries
Prevention Heart Attacks
Complications Heart Revascularization
Prevention of Strokes
Osteoporotic
Normal Bone Bone
•Leads to Increased Risk of Fractures
•Affects 60M People Worldwide
•Costs from Osteoporosis-related Fx >$14B
•1 in 2 Women Will Suffer Fractures
•No Effective Treatment
Control
BMP2: Bone Morphogenetic Protein
BMP2
Statins
•Menopause Accelerates Bone Loss and Risk of Fractures
•Statins Reverse Bone Loss after Menopause
•BMP2 Crucial for Fracture Healing
•Statins Could Accelerate Fracture Healing
Normal
Menopause
Menopause
New
Bone
Control
Control
Lovastatin
Oral Statins
Metabolized in Liver
Do Not Reach Other Organs
New Drug Delivery Methods Needed
~ 70 µm
Formulation for Local Delivery with
Controlled Release
µm
1010
µm
0.25
µm
Statins Could Improve Outcome and Quality of Life
for Patients with Fractures
No Treatment
Lovastatin Microspheres
After 4 Weeks
Restored and Protected the
Brain after Trauma
Enhanced Neurological
Recovery after Brain Bleeding
Induced Formation of New
Vessel and Nerve Cells, as
well as Connections Between
Neurons, after Stroke
Provided Significant
Improvement in Brain
Function after Stroke
SwRI Internal Research
“Targeted Formulation to Treat Spinal
Cord Injury and Other Neurological
Disorders”
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Occurs in Seconds, Affects Multiple
Biological Systems
Severity and Duration Determine
Extent of Functional Loss (Paralysis)
Attenuation Minimizes Functional
Loss, Enhances Recovery
Anti-Inflammatory and
Neuroprotective Agents Can
Decrease Secondary Damage
Targeting the
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)
Nanotechnology Leading the Way to New
Drug Delivery Methods
I’m sorry, but you
are too highly charged,
too large and not lipid soluble.
You CANNOT enter the brain.
Hey!
We want in!
Develop a Novel Statin Formulation to Cross the
Barrier, Reach CNS
Demonstrate Drug Efficacy Using Models to Measure
Cable-Like Projections (Axons) of Neurons
Extremity Vascular Injuries
Extremity Injuries Most Prevalent of
Battlefield Injuries
Decrease in Blood Supply (Tourniquet)
After 6 Hours, Damage is Caused when Blood
Supply Returns to Tissue
Decreasing Vascular Damage Helps Prevent
Amputation
91% Report an Abnormal Limb
66% Require Pain Relief
27% Would have Preferred Amputation
Todd Rassmusen, M.D.
Deputy Commander
U.S. Army
Institute of Surgical Research
Nanobiosensors
Nanobots
Cell repair
Implanting devices
Virtual reality
Imaging
Disease prevention