Drug Transport in In Vitro Subcutaneous Tissues
Project Description
The use of subcutaneous injection for biotherapeutic proteins is an area of increasing interest for pharmaceutical companies. However, there is a need for benchtop assays that quickly screen drugs to understand their potential bioavailability. We have developed a high throughput platform to investigate the transport of biomacromolecules within subcutaneous tissue. In particular, we have examined key biomaterial properties that affect mass flux of biomacromolecules. Current work includes defining the effect of different extracellular matrix molecules on transport and encapsulating tissue-specific cells within the in vitro tissue to define cell-drug interactions that affect biotransport. Future work includes expanding the assay to include aspects of personalized medicine by delineating the contribution of specific donor characteristics (e.g., age, sex, inflammatory state). Overall, this work will add to the arsenal of tools for preclinical drug screening of life-saving medicines.
Start Date
January 1, 2026
Postdoc Qualifications
- Highly motivated and independent researcher.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong publication record.
- Eager to join interdisciplinary team that touches on topics in chemical engineering, materials science, and biomedical engineering.
Co-advisors
Julie Liu, julieliu@purdue.edu, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, https://engineering.purdue.edu/LiuGroup
Luis Solorio, lsolorio@purdue.edu, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, https://soloriolab.wixsite.com/tmet?_ga=2.18586361.1513187059.1625151713-956620504.1620310884
Bibliography
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M.H. Hakim, B.H. Jun, A. Ahmadzadegan, P.M. Babiak, Q. Xu, K.P. Buno, J.C. Liu, A.M. Ardekani, P.P. Vlachos, L. Solorio, “Investigation of Macromolecular Transport Through Tunable Collagen Hyaluronic Acid Matrices,” Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 222, 113123 (2023). J.E. Torres, F. Meng, S. Bhattacharya, K.P. Buno, A. Ahmadzadegan, S. Madduri, P.M. Babiak, P.P. Vlachos, L. Solorio, Y. Yeo, J.C. Liu, “Interpenetrating Networks of Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid That Serve as In Vitro Tissue Models for Assessing Macromolecular Transport,” Biomacromolecules, 24, 4718-4730 (2023). P.M. Babiak, C.M. Battistoni, L. Cahya, R. Athreya, J. Minnich II, A. Panitch, and J.C. Liu, “Tunable Blended Collagen I/II and Collagen I/III Hydrogels as Tissue Mimics,” Macromolecular Bioscience, 24, 2400280 (2024). Fibronectin-expressing mesenchymal tumor cells promote breast cancer metastasis BH Jun, T Guo, S Libring, MK Chanda, JS Paez, A Shinde, MK Wendt, P Vlachos, L Solorio Cancers 12 (9), 2553. High‐Throughput Magnetic Actuation Platform for Evaluating the Effect of Mechanical Force on 3D Tumor Microenvironment Á Enríquez, S Libring, TC Field, J Jimenez, T Lee, H Park, D Satoski, MK Wendt, S Calve, A Buganza Tepole, L Solorio, H Lee Advanced Functional Materials 31 (1), 2005021. |