The Foldvari Group is investigating novel materials, methods, mechanisms and pathways to enable the discovery and invention of needle-free administration of medicines. We are working on developing non-invasive drug delivery technologies and pharmaceutical products based on these technologies.
Our objectives are to:
- Develop novel delivery systems and formulations for drugs, proteins, nucleic acids and vaccines
- Create hybrid systems, e.g., DNA-nanoparticles, carbon nanotube composites and other unique structures
- Create nanoprobe systems for diagnostics and repair of biological functions
- Investigate natural and synthetic materials for fabrication of delivery and diagnostic systems
- Create interfacing methods between physical and biological systems
- Investigate molecular functions at the bio/nano interface using computer modelling and visualization of the delivery systems
The research themes in our laboratory include:
1. Nanomedicine Fundamental Studies
- Protein and non-viral gene delivery mechanisms
- Dermal, transdermal, ocular and mucosal (intranasal, buccal, vaginal) delivery routes
- Nanomaterials in delivery system design
- Nanosystem characterization and imaging
- Mathematical modeling of absorption, cellular binding, uptake and processing of nanomedicines
2. Pharmaceutical Development
- Delivery system and dosage form design for targeted drug delivery
- Novel pharmaceutical process development for scaleability of nanomedicines
- In vitro and in vivo models of drug delivery
3. Clinical Applications: Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Cancer, Immunology
- Gene therapy
- Vaccines: human and veterinary
- Glaucoma and other neural degenerative disorders
- HPV infections, treatment of LSIL/CIN I and cervical cancer prevention
- Scleroderma (cutaneous)
4. Nanotoxicology
- Nanomaterials as functional excipients
- Systems Nanotoxicology
- In vitro 3D cell culture model
- Bioimaging
- Biomarker search
- Nanomedicine safety