Drugs are applied to the skin for the treatment of a wide range of conditions including both local (inflammation, pain, eczema, psoriasis) and systemic (angina, nicotine withdrawl, hormone replacement therapy) therapies. Unwanted skin absorption also occurs following exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals, including those applied deliberately to the skin such as insectisides, sunscreens and cosmetics. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the chemical structure of ag ....Drugs are applied to the skin for the treatment of a wide range of conditions including both local (inflammation, pain, eczema, psoriasis) and systemic (angina, nicotine withdrawl, hormone replacement therapy) therapies. Unwanted skin absorption also occurs following exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals, including those applied deliberately to the skin such as insectisides, sunscreens and cosmetics. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the chemical structure of agents, the types of formulations in which they are applied and their penetration into the various layers of the skin and underlying tissues. We intend to further our research into important areas relating to the ability to predict the likely behaviour of a solute which comes into contact with the skin from the aspect of optimising both topical drug delivery systems and risk assessment procedures. We will also be examining techniques of facilitating drug transport through the skin using (i) the knowledge gained of the mechanisms by which vehicles act on the skin, (ii) the synthesis of ester and amide lipophilic prodrugs and (iii) physical techniques such as iontophoresis, whereby small electrical currents are applied to charged drug species on the outside of the skin.Read moreRead less
Influence Of Skin Cancer On Topical Elongate Microparticle Drug Delivery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,589.00
Summary
This project builds on a novel cutaneous delivery method using ‘rod-shaped’ microparticles we developed in the Dermatology Research Centre. Microparticle administration results in multiple punctures of the skin’s tough outer layers, increasing permeability. Furthermore, microparticle administration results in a uniform and continuous drug delivery profile within the treatment area, which is an important attribute for the treatment of skin diseases.
Activated Protein C Utilises Protease Activated Receptors And Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor To Heal Wounds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,882.00
Summary
Chronic leg ulcers are a major burden to the individual sufferer and to the health system. We have discovered that activated protein C (APC) potently stimulates wound healing in the laboratory and now have exciting positive results from a small pilot clinical trial showing that applying APC solution to leg ulcers also helps healing in patients. This study plans to discover how APC works at the molecular level.
MPM Non-invasive Imaging Of Biological Interactions Following Drug Delivery With Micro-nanoprojection Patches.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,612.00
Summary
The overarching aim of my research is to develop and evaluate effective, practical and reproducible physical methods for delivering genes and drugs to specific immunologically-sensitive cells in the skin to ultimately treat and vaccinate against human diseases. I recently patented a method using arrays of nano-scale projections on a patch to accurately, efficiently and safely deliver biomolecules not just to specific skin cells, but also to organelles within them. Conceptually, the delivery devi ....The overarching aim of my research is to develop and evaluate effective, practical and reproducible physical methods for delivering genes and drugs to specific immunologically-sensitive cells in the skin to ultimately treat and vaccinate against human diseases. I recently patented a method using arrays of nano-scale projections on a patch to accurately, efficiently and safely deliver biomolecules not just to specific skin cells, but also to organelles within them. Conceptually, the delivery device is a set of microscopic nanoneedles coated with drug substance and applied to the skin as a small patch. The device is practical, needle-free and pain-free. The aim of this current project is to use the micro-nanoprojection array patches-configured to uniquely deliver biomolecules to cells within given strata-to find: 1) what delivery sites of antigen-expression plasmid- toll like receptor (TLR) agonist lead to strong humoral immune responses in the intact animal. 2) whether delivery of different TLR agonists have different effects on the maturation and migration of the different professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the skin, as visualised locally by Multi-Photon Microscopy (MPM). 3) whether differences in APC maturation and migration are associated with different systemic antibody responses. We will identify optimal delivery sites of drugs-vaccines to the skin (layer, cells targeted, duration of delivery) with MPM for desired systemic immune responses. This will have important contributions towards improving immunotherapeutics of major diseases via skin targeting with micro-nanoprojection array patch technologies (and other methods).Read moreRead less
Nanopatch Immunisation Against Pandemic Influenza: Improved Immune Responses At A Reduced Dose.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$511,294.00
Summary
Development of a new way to vaccinate against influenza that will make standard vaccines 100 times more potent than conventional syringe injection. The Nanopatch is made from a silicon wafer, bristling with micro-nanoscale spikes. It painlessly deposits vaccine under the skin surface. Experiments in mice show that even a small vaccine payload delivered to the skin generates good immune responses. The Nanopatch vaccination system is expected to be ready for clinical trials within a few years.