Research into the rational delivery of pharmaceutical and therapeutic agents involves the identification of precise targets (cells and receptors) related to specific clinical conditions and choice of the appropriate formulation to achieve the required responses while minimizing side effects. Drug delivery has traditionally been dominated by the modified formulations. This has been successful to date and has formed the basis for a highly profitable niche within the industry. Creative approaches to formulation have enabled and expanded the market for many drugs but still leaves many opportunities untapped. This world-renowned group is investigating all aspects of innovative advanced drug delivery and gene-transfer systems; from design and development to performance improvement and technology assessment. Attention is particularly focused on rational design and surface engineering of nanoscale vehicles (e.g., liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, emulsions) that can target drugs, genetic materials and contrast agents to specific cells as well as intracellular locations in the body following parenteral administration. The target sites include resident and activated macrophages throughout the body, solid tumours, vascular endothelial cells (small and large vessels), tumour neovasculature, lymphatic vessels and lymph node elements. We are also translating the concept of surface engineering with synthetic polymers to camouflage blood cells, thereby permitting the survival of heterelogous or even xenogeneic erythrocytes following transfusion.
Polymeric materials used for drug delivery and surface camouflaging may also exert a wide range of effects on cellular machinery (e.g., signal transduction, apoptosis) and immune systems (e.g., complement activation and associated pseudoallergic reactions). These issues are also under full investigation. Parallel to these the Group is also involved in development of novel strategies to monitor real-time surface interactions (polymer-protein and particle-cell surface interactions) by quartz crystal resonant technology and surface plasmon resonance.
