Airborne Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Applications

描述(由申请人提供)：提出了一种以每分钟微克的速度产生尺寸范围为20-100 nm的空气悬浮颗粒物的装置。该粒子发生器将利用多个喷头的电喷雾来获得所需的颗粒物吞吐量。拟议的纳米颗粒生成器将被用于向动物模型输送某些强效药物。第一组动物实验将涉及通过吸入将药物纳米粒输送到肺部。将研究动物肺部不同部分的粒子沉积效率，并检查候选药物对腺癌(深部肺癌)的疗效。在第二组动物实验中，药物纳米颗粒将悬浮在全氟碳气泡中，用于堵塞和填充视网膜裂孔和泪水。本申请中的药物组合物旨在抑制增殖性玻璃体病变(在存在疤痕组织时视网膜再次脱离)。将设计测试来研究这些药物在这方面的效果。将检验所提议的技术在产生大分子空气悬浮液方面的有效性。我们亦会研究把上述设备的吞吐量提升至每分钟毫克的可行性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A device for generating airborne particles in the size range 20-100 nm at the rate of micrograms per minute is proposed. This particle generator will utilize multiple heads of multi-jet electrosprays to obtain the desired throughput of the particulate matter. The proposed nanoparticle generator will be used to deliver certain potent drugs to animal models. The first set of animal experiments will involve delivery of drug nanoparticles to the lungs through inhalation. Particle deposition efficiencies in various parts of the animal lungs will be studied and efficacy of the candidate drugs in treating adenocarcinomas (cancer of the deep lung) will be examined. In a second set of animal experiments, the drug nanoparticles will be suspended in a perfluorocarbon gas bubble used to occlude and tamponade retinal breaks and tears. The drug composition in this application is intended to inhibit the proliferative vitreoratinopathy (re-detachment of the retina in the presence of a scar tissue). Tests will be designed to study the efficacy of the drugs in this respect. Effectiveness of the proposed technique in generating airborne suspensions of macromolecules will be examined. We will also study the feasibility of scaling up the throughput of the above device to milligrams per minute.