abstract and bio

SEMINAR
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Bio-inspired and Bio-mimetic
Systems for Targeted Drug Delivery
Monday, April 13
1034 Emerging Technologies Building
9:10 a.m.
Polymeric particle drug delivery systems are widely explored
to improve the biological outcome of encapsulated drugs for
therapeutic effects. However, nearly all synthetic materials,
polymeric particles included, suffer from limited abilities
in vivo. Poor vascular circulation, limited targeting and the
inability to negotiate many biological barriers have prevented the
overwhelming majority of particulate drug delivery systems from
entering the clinic. To further complicate the matter, the above
requisites must be performed simultaneously while also limiting
toxic effects to the patient. Mother Nature has provided us with
many examples of successful carriers of her own in the form of
circulatory cells. To improve the delivery abilities of synthetic
carriers we have developed blood-cell inspired systems that aim to
mimic certain abilities of erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes
(including monocytes) and thrombocytes (platelets). I will provide
an overview of these strategies with respect to their capabilities and
advantages.
Samir Mitragotri, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
Samir Mitragotri
Dr. Mitragotri is professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He also
serves as founding director of UCSB’s Center for Bioengineering. He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 1996 and B.S. from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai in 1992. Dr.
Mitragotri’s research interests are in the field of drug delivery and biomaterials. His research has advanced
fundamental understanding of transport processes in biological systems and led to the development of new
materials and technologies for diagnosis and treatment of various ailments including diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and infectious diseases. Dr. Mitragotri has published ~ 200 publications in scientific journals and given
more than 250 invited lectures in various conferences around the world. He is an inventor on ~100 pending or
issued patents, and his work is highly cited (~15,000 citations). Dr. Mitragotri has received a number of awards
including the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Allan P. Colburn award, Controlled Release Society’s
Young Investigator award and the Technology Review Young Inventor award for technological innovation. Dr.
Mitragotri is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an elected fellow of the American Association
of Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Academy
of Inventors, and the Controlled Release Society.