Drug delivery is the method or process of administering a drug to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans and generally involves preparing the drug as a medicine. Over recent years the use of nanomedicines as a means to deliver drug has been attracting considerable attention such that nanomedicines are being explored as a way to improve the treatment and lives of patients suffering from a range of disorders including cancer, fungal infections, asthma. Nanomedicine is thought to have the potential to develop radical new therapies. An understanding of the detailed molecular architecture of nanomedicines is essential if such delivery systems are to be effectively exploited as medicines. Our group have been using neutron scattering to gain such an understanding. This talk will describe the use of neutron scattering, specifically small angle neutron scattering and neutron reflectivity, both in combination with contrast variation and molecular dynamics simulation to characterise nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. Particular emphasis will be placed on the problems experienced with the characterisation of such ‘real world’ systems.
References:
[1] Saaka Y, Allen DT, Luangwitchajaroen Y, Shao Y, Campbell RA, Lorenz CD, Lawrence MJ (2018) Towards optimised drug delivery: structure and composition of testosterone enanthate in sodium dodecyl sulphate monolayers. Soft Matter 14, 3135-3150.
[2] Allen DT, Damestani N, Saaka Y, Lawrence MJ, Lorenz CD (2018) Interaction of testosterone-based compounds with dodecyl sulphate monolayers at the air-water interface. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 20, 8790-8801.
[3] Allen DT, Saaka Y, Pardo LC, Lawrence MJ, Lorenz CD (2016) Specific effects of monovalent counterions on the structural and interfacial properties of dodecyl sulfate monolayers. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 18, 30394-30406.
[4] Allen DT, Saaka Y, Lawrence MJ, Lorenz CD (2014) Atomistic description of the solubilisation of testosterone propionate in a sodium dodecyl sulphate micelle. J. Phys. Chem. B, 118 13192–13201.
[5] Saaka Y, PhD Thesis King’s College London.