UNMET NEED
Many diseases in the human body are best treated using drug delivery in which a triggered release of extracellular therapeutics or a triggered shape change of intracellular therapeutics mediates the delivery of drugs. However, these therapeutics should only be released under specific circumstances and locations to have the maximum impact with the smallest possibility of unintended adverse effects. Thus, there is a need to develop an effective way of targeting these therapeutics such that they are released or change shape under certain circumstances only. In addition, cellular uptake and/or drug delivery for tissue regeneration or tumor therapy relies upon specific control of when therapeutics
PROBLEM SOLVED
The inventors have created a novel functionality for using shape memory polymers in the human body. Shape memory polymers are unique in that they can undergo shape-transformations upon triggering by different external stimuli such as heat, light and electricity. However, the main roadblock in using these shape memory polymers in biomedical applications is the lack of biocompatibility of the polymers themselves. However, the inventors have developed novel memory particles that are both biocompatible and are activated by heat or light. This can allow for more fine-tuned control of cellular uptake and/or drug delivery than before.
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
The inventors have already confirmed the efficacy and viability of this method on multiple polymeric particles at the appropriate body-friendly temperatures and have shown that their shape memory method is universal to all polymers, opening up a new window to exploring new shape-memory materials for bioapplications. They are currently receiving major NIH support and federal sponsoring, and plan to commercialize in the next few years.
