Development of high aspect ratio drug loaded magneto-polymer composite PRINT® particles (2012)

Undergraduates: Matthew Detter, Kevin P. Herlihy, John Fain, Dmitry Spivak, and Frank Tsui

Faculty Advisor: Joseph DeSimone
Department: Chemistry

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When compared to traditional parenteral delivery, targeted therapeutic delivery has the potential for improved efficacy, decreased side effects, reduced systemic exposure (and associated toxicities), and diminished overall costs. This project focuses on the co-encapsulation of a superparamagnetic targeting agent and a potent therapeutic in a series of high aspect ratio polymeric nanoparticles using the Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates (PRINT®) process. PRINT is a robust “top-down” micro- and nanoparticle fabrication technique, derived from technology used in the semiconductor industry, which enables strict control over particle parameters such as matrix composition, surface functionality, size, shape, and cargo encapsulation. The current study details the development and characterization of monodisperse poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles containing both Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) and an anti-inflammatory steroid, dexamethasone 21-acetate (DXM). We demonstrate the ability to align these PRINT particles along their primary axis with an external magnetic field. Fluorescent microscopy was utilized to capture the real-time magnetic response of these particles in an aqueous solution. The magneto targeting and retention properties of these PRINT particles provide an attractive method for localized and sustained treatment of arthritis, asthma, and other inflammatory conditions.