Sustained Release of Therapies Using Poly(pro-drug) Biomaterials for the Injured Central Nervous System

September 11, 2020 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Dr. Ryan Gilbert
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

ABSTRACT: Following primary central nervous system injury (CNS), secondary injury contributes to increased neuronal loss around the injury site. To mitigate the extent of secondary injury, a glial scar forms. However, glial scar formation inhibits axonal regeneration, leading to chronic paralysis for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) or impeding neural recording function following electrode implantation. Drug releasing biomaterials, implanted following SCI or coated onto electrode implants, reduce secondary injury improving functional outcomes in preclinical models of SCI or electrode implantation. But, drug release from many biomaterial systems occurs over brief durations (hours to a few days), limiting their clinical impact. At RPI, we have developed polymers fabricated from neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory molecules curcumin and estradiol. Release duration from these polymers is tunable, and the polymers can be easily manipulated into appropriate shapes or coatings for SCI and electrode implantation applications. This talk will highlight two recently completed studies where poly(pro-estradiol) or poly(pro-curcumin) was applied to the injured spinal cord in mice or as a coating material for implanted intracortical electrodes in rats respectively. The poly(pro-estradiol) material was able to increase neuroprotection in mice following SCI, and the poly(pro-curcumin) coating was able to reduce glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression around the cortical implant. In total, the results of these initial studies demonstrate the potential of poly(pro-drug) biomaterials for CNS applications.

BIOGRAPHY: Ryan Gilbert is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He is also a member of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) at RPI, a center focused on fostering collaborative research across disciplines. Dr. Gilbert received his B.S.E. from the University of Michigan in Chemical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. His current research focuses on developing new biomaterials for controlled drug delivery to the injured nervous system and investigating glial cell responses to biomaterials. He and his research group has published over 70 manuscripts in leading journals such as Acta Biomaterialia, Biomaterials, and Nature Communications. He received the NSF CAREER award, and his research laboratory is currently funded by NIH, NSF, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the State of New York Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Tissue Engineering division of the journal Cells Tissues Organs.