Description:
Reference #: 01255
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for an innovative approach to synthesize a nanogels-in-microparticle delivery system with delayed and sustained release of protein or peptide-based biologiocally active agents.
Background:
In many medical applications, drugs, peptides, proteins, morphogens, cytokines, enzymes, or biologically active agents need to be released locally with a delay or within a specified time interval in situ in a tissue. Specifically in regenerative medicine, biologically active agents like morphogens need to be released in a sustained manner at different time intervals to induce differentiation of different cell types to specific lineage or to stimulate their maturation to different phenotypes. Because of the unique drug release rates in this and related applications, there is a need for a novel technology in this area.
Invention Description:
Some drug delivery applications require sustained release of proteins in the active conformation but the drug release is required to start at a time other than time zero. This invention disclosure describes a novel approach for delayed and sustained release of proteins based on conjugation of proteins to nanogels that are trapped in microcapsules.
Potential Applications:
Drug delivery applications where active agents need to be released locally with a delay or within a specified time interval. This is common in a wide range of clinical areas. Global Forecast for the “Drug delivery technology market” is projected to reach USD 1.7 trillion by 2021 from USD 1.2 trillion in 2016.
Advantages and Benefits:
1) The water-swollen nature of the nanogels prevents denaturation of the conjugated protein.
2) The crosslinked nature of the nanogels and their high water content prevents the diffusion or transfer of the conjugated protein to the organic phase in the process of microcapsule formation.
3) The duration of sustained release can be controlled by varying the composition of the nanogels from a few days to many weeks
4) The delay time for the onset of release can be controlled by varying the chemical composition of the polyester capsule from no delay time to many weeks of delay time.
5) Protein release is independent of the size of shape of the protein and any protein can be released in a delayed-sustained manner.
6) The microparticles are in the 1-10 µm size range, thus they can be used as part of an injectable drug delivery system.
7) The microparticles can be formed into a powder by lyophilization, thus the microparticles can be used as a part of an oral dosage form.