Nanomedicine Lab Making Big Strides with Tiny Particles

The lab, led by Duquesne Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics Dr. Jelena Janjic, was the first to create pain nanomedicine for trauma and surgical pain, which could lead to reducing the use of opioids for recovery. The NML also developed the first oxygen carrier with imaging clinical grade agents for real-time tracking during organ/limb preservation, which may reduce organ rejection and lead to improving transplantation success. 
 
So it wasn’t much of a surprise when the NML was tapped to participate with other institutions to make whole eye transplants a reality. More than 40 scientists, doctors and industry experts are joining together for the $56 million project from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Transplantation of Human Eye Allografts (THEA) program. Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD, Blumenkranz Smead professor and chair of ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, serves as the principal investigator. José-Alain Sahel, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, co-directs the initiative with Goldberg.
 
“We are uniquely prepared to work in multiple task areas of this project,” Janjic said, adding that Duquesne was the only partner in the project to receive two sub-proposer contracts. “The nanomedicines we create provide imaging of the tissue during rejection, and in response to immunosuppression treatment, image optic nerve neuroinflammation post repair, and importantly aid in organ preservation and offer drug delivery that assists in transplantation.”
 
These horizon-expanding opportunities are part of Duquesne’s DNA, benefiting researchers, students and society by moving scientific discovery forward.
 
A key part of the NML’s success is its quality-by-design process, which allows it to produce cost-effective, robust and scalable manufacturing methods for nanomedicines with a high level of quality control. Typical nanotechnology-based therapeutics are often burdened with high costs and challenging quality control issues. NML is unique in its ability to produce multi-liter quantities of complex patent-protected nanomedicine formulations across multiple uses, from pain relief to organ preservation. 
 
The six-year eye transplant project, which is led by Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh, will be incredibly challenging, Janjic said.
 
“This will be an exciting collaboration as the eye presents unique issues,” she said. “The NML has worked with partners across industry, academia and government agencies, and we look forward to joining in this innovative project.”
 
The ARPA-H funding, which includes $1.2 million to Duquesne, is just the latest example of NML’s success. Last year, the lab received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to expand research into using nanoparticle technology to preserve human limbs for transplantation surgeries. NML has received more than $7 million in total grants.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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