Herein we report the design and synthesis of multifunctional hyperbranched polyester-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites with properties ranging from magnetic, fluorescence, antioxidant and X-ray contrast. The fabrication of these nanostructures was achieved using a novel aliphatic and biodegradable hyperbranched polyester (HBPE) synthesized from readily available diethyl malonate. The polym...

The combination of nanotechnology and biology has developed into an emerging research area: nano-biotechnology. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted a great deal of attention in bioapplications due to their high chemical stability, low toxicity, and high signal-to-noise ratio. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are also well-established nanomaterials that offer controlled size, ability ...

In this study, we designed and developed a new drug delivery system of multifunctional composite microcapsules for oral administration of insulin. Firstly, in order to enhance the encapsulation efficiency, insulin was complexed with functional sodium deoxycholate to form insulin-sodium deoxycholate complex using hydrophobic ion pairing method. Then the complex was encapsulated into poly(lactide...

MULTIFUNCTIONAL BIOREDUCIBLE NANOPARTICLES FORGENE THERAPY byJING LIDecember 2012Advisor: Dr. David OupickýMajor: Pharmaceutical SciencesDegree: Doctor of PhilosophyGene therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy to treat diseases causedby single or multiple gene mutations. Non-viral gene delivery vectors exhibitmany advantages over viral vectors, includ...

Delivery of multiple therapeutics and/or diagnostic agents to diseased tissues is challenging and necessitates the development of multifunctional platforms. Among the various strategies for design of multifunctional nanocarriers, biodegradable polyphosphoester (PPE) polymers have been recently synthesized via a rapid and simple synthetic strategy. In addition, the chemical structure of the poly...

Although much progress has been made in treating cancers, cancer death rates in and around the United States are still high. Current treatments are either ineffective against some cancers or detrimental to patients, which decreases their quality of life. The use of nanotechnology in cancer therapy can potentially increase patient survival, reduce side effects, and reduce mortality rates because...