Development of a nanotechnology resource center to advance urological research

摘要 新技术促进了科学发现方面的突破，同时也促进了治疗方面的进步。 在纳米技术的情况下，主要的重点一直是优化其在靶向药物传递、成像、 诊断，或治疗学和诊断的组合(“治疗病”)。然而，应用程序 纳米技术在研究和治疗良性泌尿系统疾病方面仍未得到充分探索。 在我们机构(爱因斯坦)，乔尔·弗里德曼博士的研究实验室已经开发出一种纳米粒子-- 输送系统(“爱因斯坦”纳米粒子)。我们和其他人已经将这个系统应用到了多个研究领域， 包括良性泌尿外科，如&gt；20出版物记录的那样，几个外部资助的研究项目， 以及授权给一个商业实体。这种纳米颗粒递送系统具有内在的潜在调制作用 它的物理化学性质，允许在大量的基础研究和临床条件下使用。然而， 目前，这些纳米颗粒递送系统对一般泌尿科研究社区的可用性 由于缺乏用于设计和综合的具体资源分配而受到限制。 这项提议通过建立一个P20资源开发中心来解决这些限制，该中心有两个 主要目标：1)教育和促进纳米技术在泌尿外科基础和临床中的应用 研究社区，以及2)创建资源开发(研究项目)组成部分，其中 “爱因斯坦”纳米粒子将用于专注于良性泌尿系统疾病的合作项目。这个 拟议的资源中心将为每个研究项目设计和合成纳米颗粒，直到 商业实体承担着这一角色。 该中心将高度协同，研究人员将学习如何将纳米技术应用于 他们的特定研究领域。调查人员将获得资源和培训，因此他们可以应用 “爱因斯坦”纳米技术在他们的项目中。研究人员将需要设计和合成新型纳米颗粒 为他们的具体研究项目量身定做的配方。因此，这一过程将导致发展 以及针对各种良性泌尿系统疾病的新型纳米颗粒配方的扩展。我们预料到 商业实体将在2-4年内合成纳米颗粒，最终取代 为这个P20资源中心。

Abstract Novel technologies facilitate breakthroughs in scientific discovery with concomitant advances in therapy. In the case of nanotechnology, a major focus has been on optimizing its use for targeted drug delivery, imaging, diagnosis, or a combination of therapeutics and diagnosis (“theranosis”). However, the application of nanotechnology in the research and treatment of benign urological pathologies remains underexplored. At our institution (“Einstein”), the research laboratory of Dr. Joel Friedman has developed a nanoparticle- delivery system (the “Einstein” nanoparticle). We and others have applied this system to multiple research fields, including benign urology, as documented by >20 publications, several extramurally funded research projects, and licensing to a commercial entity. This nanoparticle-delivery system has intrinsic potential for modulation of its physicochemical properties, allowing use in a vast array of basic research and clinical conditions. However, the availability of these nanoparticle-delivery systems to the general urologic research community is currently limited by the absence of specific resource allocations for design and synthesis. This proposal addresses these limitations by establishing a P20 Resource Development Center with two primary goals: 1) to educate and promote the use of nanotechnology within the urologic basic and clinical research community, and 2) to create a resource development (research project) component in which the “Einstein” nanoparticle will be available for collaborative projects focused on benign urologic diseases. The proposed Resource Center will design and synthesize nanoparticles tailored to each research project until commercial entities assume this role. The Center will be highly synergistic, with investigators learning how nanotechnology can be applied to their specific field of research. Investigators will have access to resources and training, so they can apply the “Einstein” nanotechnology in their project. Investigators will require design and synthesis of novel nanoparticle formulations tailored to their specific research projects. This process would therefore lead to the development and expansion of novel nanoparticle formulations for a variety of benign urologic conditions. We anticipate that commercial entities will be positioned to synthesize nanoparticles within 2-4 years, eventually replacing the need for this P20 Resource Center.