Scott Uhland

Hydrogen peroxide mediated transvaginal drug delivery

Simple, safe and effective permeability enhancers are crucial for successful non-invasive drug delivery methods. We seek local permeability augmentation mechanisms for integration into passive or active architectures in order to enable novel therapeutic delivery routes of the target drug while minimizing drug formulation challenges. This study explores the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide (HP) as a permeability enhancer for transmucosal delivery of macromolecules. HP at low concentrations (2–8 mM) is an effective permeability enhancer that is locally metabolized and safe. HP improves drug permeation through mucosa by altering tight junctions (TJ) between cells and oxidizing enzymes that function to degrade the foreign species. Results from trans-epithelial electrical resistance measurements and cell viability assay show reversible disassembly of TJ with minimal cell damage demonstrating the feasibility of HP as a safe permeability enhancer for drug delivery. Permeation studies show that HP treatment of cell cultured vaginal mucosa significantly enhances the permeability to insulin by more than an order of magnitude. This work lays foundation for the development of a drug delivery platform that administers drug doses by enhancing the permeability of local epithelial tissue via a separate HP treatment step.

A microarray MEMS device for biolistic delivery of vaccine and drug powders

We report a biolistic technology platform for physical delivery of particle formulations of drugs or vaccines using parallel arrays of microchannels, which generate highly collimated jets of particles with high spatial resolution. Our approach allows for effective delivery of therapeutics sequentially or concurrently (in mixture) at a specified target location or treatment area. We show this new platform enables the delivery of a broad range of particles with various densities and sizes into both in vitro and ex vivo skin models. Penetration depths of ∼1 mm have been achieved following a single ejection of 200 µg high-density gold particles, as well as 13.6 µg low-density polystyrene-based particles into gelatin-based skin simulants at 70 psi inlet gas pressure. Ejection of multiple shots at one treatment site enabled deeper penetration of ∼3 mm in vitro, and delivery of a higher dose of 1 mg gold particles at similar inlet gas pressure. We demonstrate that particle penetration depths can be optimized in vitro by adjusting the inlet pressure of the carrier gas, and dosing is controlled by drug reservoirs that hold precise quantities of the payload, which can be ejected continuously or in pulses. Future investigations include comparison between continuous versus pulsatile payload deliveries. We have successfully delivered plasmid DNA (pDNA)-coated gold particles (1.15 µm diameter) into ex vivo murine and porcine skin at low inlet pressures of ∼30 psi. Integrity analysis of these pDNA-coated gold particles confirmed the preservation of full-length pDNA after each particle preparation and jetting procedures. This technology platform provides distinct capabilities to effectively deliver a broad range of particle formulations into skin with specially designed high-speed microarray ejector nozzles.