Small Molecule Delivery & Nutraceuticals

Emrick and colleagues have developed a polymeric pro-drug that exhibits reduced drug uptake in healthy tissues and enhanced drug accumulation in tumors using BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 tumors. These pro-drugs has no apparent innate or adaptive immune system response (Mol. Pharm. 2016, 11, 1715-1720).

Understand the self-assembly of carrier molecules and utilize them to develop efficient delivery vehicles for small molecules and nutraceuticals. These molecules are non-covalently encapsulated in carriers or developed in a pro-drug format. Strategies for controlled release and targeted delivery to specific cells and tissues are being developed. Impact areas include oncology, liver diseases such as NASH, and food-based products such as nutraceuticals.