Achievement

IGERT researchers have developed thermosensitive liposomal drug delivery formulations with actuation from superparamagnetic nanoparticle heating for applications in cancer treatment. The liposomes undergo a phase transition from an impermeable state to a permeable state at temperatures slightly higher than physiological conditions which provides a method for altering release kinetics of drugs. Incorporated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) in the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AMF) generate the heating necessary for localized elevated temperatures which trigger changes in drug release from a liposomal formulation. This research has resulted in collaborations between investigators in Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences.