Education
BSc, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2020
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, 2020 - Present
Research Interests
Traumatic Brain Injury, Drug Delivery & Development
Research Summary
In 2010 US dollars, the lifetime costs of traumatic brain are $76.5 billion, including direct and indirect medical costs. Adjusted for inflation, TBI costs $92.3 billion in 2021. Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity (GIE) is a key process in secondary traumatic brain injury (TBI) and leads to poor recovery outcomes in TBI patients. Currently, there are no therapeutic treatments on the market to treat patients to reduce the effects of GIE due to TBI. This lack of treatment options creates a need for the development for a TBI therapeutic which specifically counteracts the harm caused by GIE. Uric acid (UA), a natural compound found in the body, protects neurons against GIE in vitro and inhibits pathological changes and promotes functional recovery in an in vivo mouse model of TBI by neutralizing reactive oxygen species and upregulating glutamate transporters on astrocytes. However, the administration and delivery of UA to injured neurons is difficult due to the insoluble nature of UA and detrimental effects of high UA serum concentration when administered systemically. High serum levels of UA are linked to gout, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and renal disease. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a polymer that is biocompatible, biodegradable and FDA approved for use in therapeutics. The goal of this project is to encapsulate UA in PLGA nanoparticles is a promising option for a longer-term UA release platform and to overcome UA solubility issues. UA encapsulation in PLGA nanoparticles will avoid systemic effects of high UA serum levels and overcome the insoluble nature of UA to delivery therapeutic neuroprotection post TBI.