Putting the 'Squeeze' on Drug Delivery
Monday, February 13, 2017 - 17:31
in Physics & Chemistry
One big challenge targeted drug delivery faces today is efficiently "loading" a drug into a carrier without compromising the carrier's structural integrity. A promising method is to deform a carrier by squeezing it through a narrow, microscale constriction. This mechanical deformation creates transient pores in the carrier membrane to enhance the membrane's permeability to macromolecules and promote the efficient uptake of drugs. During the Society of Rheology meeting, being held Feb. 12-16, Joseph Barakat will present his work to develop a model for vesicle squeezing that can be used to predict and optimize drug loading procedures.