Abstract
For decades, the field of drug delivery has sought to develop a universal nanocarrier that is capable of delivering any drug specifically to a single tissue site with minimal off-target effects. Some drug delivery technologies have gained clinical approval, although a true "magic bullet" nanoparticle system has yet to be realized. Drug delivery to the brain and spinal cord remain particularly challenging problems, given the presence of evolutionarily conserved barriers that restrict entry of circulating molecules into the central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral toxicity often limits drug dosing and efficacy, even for nanoparticles whose properties have been optimized for CNS-targeted delivery. As nanomedicine progresses toward clinical application, those of us who work in the CNS are faced with urgent questions. What does it take to design nanoparticles for CNS drug delivery that can reach patients within the next decade? What drug delivery problems can we tackle that will directly impact clinical care today? For individuals seeking translational impact, access to clinical resources and renewed attention toward understanding the true clinical problems in niche medical applications will be key. In this talk, Dr. Sirianni will discuss her group's work on engineering biomaterials for better brain and spinal cord delivery, focusing on a roadmap for specific translation of polymeric nanoparticles in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology.
Bio
Dr. Rachael Sirianni received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University in 2008 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology at the Yale School of Medicine in 2011. Following her first faculty appointment at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Dr. Sirianni moved her laboratory to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where she is now an Associate Professor with tenure in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery. Dr. Sirianni’s group is dedicated to developing new drug delivery clinical trials for better treatment of pediatric brain tumors at the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Dr. Sirianni balances preclinical and translational work in close collaboration with clinical and industry partners in oncology and neuroprotection. Her group’s primary academic interests include formulation science, nanoparticle imaging, tissue engineering the subarachnoid space, and intrathecal drug delivery.
