Precision Drug Carriers for the Central Nervous System

Effective treatment of central nervous system diseases requires sufficient drug exposure to achieve the desired therapeutic effects. However, the blood-brain barrier significantly restricts most drugs from entering the brain and spinal cord. Delivering drugs to pediatric brain tumors presents an even larger challenge as we balance aggressive treatment of cancer cells with the protection of the healthy, developing brain.

One major focus of the lab is improving drug delivery to pediatric brain tumors using new drug formulations and innovative administration methods. We have previously investigated the impact of nanoparticle surface chemistry in crossing the blood-brain barrier and penetrating the tumor microenvironment, and are expanding this work to include direct delivery into the cerebrospinal fluid.

In addition to developing new nanomedicines in the lab, we are collaborating with academic and industry labs to bring existing formulations to the clinic more rapidly. By filling the 'translational gap' with rigorous preclinical data, we aim to design high-quality clinical trials that can accelerate the availability of effective treatments for pediatric brain tumors.