The Drug Design, Development, and Delivery (4D) Lab's mission is to alleviate pathological conditions and promote functional tissue regeneration through biomaterial-based synthesis, formulation, and delivery of therapeutic compounds. Our research focuses on the understanding of drug and gene delivery in biological systems and developing new therapeutics and biomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.
We are currently working on investigating delivery strategies using polymeric nanoparticles to stimulate central nervous system regeneration after trauma or degenerative disease and to treat cancers including drug-resistant breast cancer and brain and spinal tumors. We are working on developing drugs for targeted delivery to the colon to treat various colonic diseases, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and colorectal cancer. We are also developing drug-loaded medical devices, such as surgical sutures, tissue adhesives, and drug eluting stents.
