CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY

Getting both cells and pharmaceuticals to targeted tissue sites is important for successful regenerative therapeutics. In addition to their use in the scaffolds upon which new tissues are engineered, polymers are used for targeted delivery or timed release of drugs in chosen therapies.

At the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the team is working on:

• Controlled and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to specific cells and tissues
• Fabrication of functional scaffolds for guiding nerve and vessel growth
• Development and formulation of novel drug delivery vehicles
• Immunoisolation of cells for cell and tissue therapy
• Integration of nanotechnology into controlled delivery systems for clinical applications

Controlled-release technologies can be used to incorporate growth factors into the scaffold system. For example, a protein called BMP can be used to enhance bone regeneration, the growth factor VEGF can be used for new blood vessel formation, and nerve growth factor (NGF) can be used for promoting the reinnervation of tissues.

Growth factors have a very short half-life and are expensive. The ability to deliver them in a controlled and properly timed manner through the use of biomaterials is important for successful tissue regeneration.

The team also works on microencapsulation of various cell types for delivery as therapeutic products to replace cells that have become dysfunctional as a result of diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Cell encapsulation with polymeric membranes can be used for cell therapy because it provides immunoisolation by enclosing the cells, while permitting the entry of nutrients and oxygen and the exit of therapeutic protein products.

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