Dr. Joe DeSimone Abstract:

Engineered Drug Therapies Enabled by Fabrication Processes from the Electronics Industry

A novel method for the fabrication of organic particles on the order of tens of nanometers to several microns will be described. 

Our imprint lithographic technique called PRINT (Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates), takes advantage of the unique properties of elastomeric molds comprised of a low surface energy perfluoropolyether network, allowing the production of monodisperse, shape-specific nanoparticles from an extensive array of organic precursors. 

This engineered nature of particle production has a number of advantages over the construction of traditional nanoparticles such as liposomes, dendrimers and colloidal precipitates.  The nature of PRINT technology takes drug delivery for the first time into the uncharted realm of engineered drug therapies given its á la carte approach and versatility. 

PRINT allows for the precise control over particle size, particle shape, particle composition and particle surface properties.

I believe that PRINT is the only technology that can independently design these attributes to create truly engineered drug therapies. For the first time, key therapeutic parameters such as bioavailability, biodistribution, and target-specific cell penetration should be able to be simultaneously designed into a therapy.

Preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted, demonstrating the future utility of PRINT particles as delivery vectors in nanomedicine. 

We believe that PRINT is the only technology that can independently design in these attributes to create truly engineered nanovectors for drug therapies.  For the first time, key therapeutic parameters such as bioavailability, biodistribution, and target-specific cell penetration can be simultaneously designed into a therapy.