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Current potential research project
Development of Novel drug delivery platform
- Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev, Dr Spomenka Simovic and Dr Dusan Losic
- Area: Nano technology, mechanical Engineering
- Abstract: Currently, there is enormous need for drug delivery platforms for controlled release of therapeutic compounds which are difficult to deliver by traditional means. Recently developed nano-porous materials such as titania and alumina produced by electrochemical etching have been speculated to have the potential to fulfil this need. It has been demonstrated that the nano-porous of such materials can be filled with therapeutics. However in a biological fluid these therapeutics are released very quickly in the order of minutes. Thus a technology is needed for efficient control over the release from the nano-pores. In this project plasma polymerisation will be used for regulating the diameter of the openings of the nano-pores via deposition a polymer film via plasma deposition on the surface of material. Plasma polymerisation is uniquely suitable for this purpose because film deposition is conducted in dry stay. Film deposition by any wet technique would lead to loss and contamination of the drug loaded in the pores. Plasma polymerisation also allows fine tuning of the chemical properties of the films to increase the biocompatibility of the material. In this project therapeutic drugs with different properties will be loaded in to nano-pores of the material. Release will be examined after plasma deposition of films of different physicochemical properties. In addition the response of biological cell to these novel materials will be tested.
- Related references: Not provided
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