High Throughput Nanoimprint Manufacturing of Shape-Specific, Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug and Imaging Agent Delivery

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The objective of this research is to develop nanomanufacturing methods for fabrication of shape-specific ?smart? nanoparticles capable of delivering drugs or imaging agents to targeted tissues in response to disease-specific or physiological signals. Specifically, high throughput, bio-compatible nanoimprint manufacturing processes are developed in this research to fabricate highly monodisperse, enzymatically-triggered nanoscale carriers of drug and imaging agents. The sizes and shapes of the nanoparticles are controlled during the top-down nano-imprint process. Experiments are carried out to evaluate nanoparticle loading, the release of drug and imaging agents, and to characterize the effects of nano-carrier size and shape on carrier transport and cellular uptake in cell cultures and microfluidic environments.This research can transform the manufacturing of nanoparticles for drug and imaging agent delivery as well as address fundamental questions regarding the optimal size and shape of nano-carriers. The obtained nano-carriers can significantly improve therapeutic care of complex diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the results from this research would not only provide new directions in fabricating drug delivery vehicles with disease-responsive properties, but would also explore the fundamental limitations and practical capabilities of generating three-dimensional, complex structures with nanomanufacturing techniques. If successful, this would eventually lead to the next generation of disease-specific and highly effective therapeutics and also provide novel biomedical applications for nanoimprint lithography. The project is inherently interdisciplinary and involves principles from manufacturing, mechanical, and biomedical engineering. This provides a unique and rewarding educational environment for the students involved including students from underrepresented groups in engineering professions. The results and concepts developed here directly benefit several graduate and undergraduate courses and are disseminated into industry and public by the active participations of the investigators in short courses and seminars for industry and K-12 teachers, students, and parents.