Guest Editors
Yong Han
Ohio University
Dr. Han received his PhD from Shandong University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, focusing on synthetic biology of microorganisms and natural products research. In 2017, Dr. Han joined Ohio University to work on synthetic biology-based microbial drug research. Dr. Han's research interests include the identification of microbial biosynthetic gene clusters, functional studies of related enzymes, and structural remodeling of active natural products based on synthetic biology. He is also interested in elucidating microbial gene regulatory pathways and the reconstruction of gene circuits. Based on his understanding of microbial biosynthetic pathways and microbial regulatory pathways, his current research focuses on designing rational microbial metabolic pathways for the targeted release of therapeutic payloads from engineered bacteria.
Jifu Hao
Shandong First Medical University
Mr. Hao completed his doctoral degree in medicine at Shandong University and is devoted to novel drug delivery system research in the pharmaceutical field. In 2004, Dr. Hao became a faculty in Shandong First Medical University to perform pharmaceutical research and teaching work. His primary focus is using different polymers to design nanoparticles as vehicles for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients. These ingredients mainly include various small molecules and natural products to achieve controlled release and targeted delivery. Moreover, he is interested in applying these novel medical nanoparticles to enhance drug efficacy in treating cancers and other diseases through different administration routes, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, eye, and brain. Currently, he pays more attention to cancer immunotherapy for using neutrophils as a biomimetic delivery system for co-administration of chemotherapeutic drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Collection Overview
The proper selection of a suitable drug delivery system is an essential aspect of drug development. In fact, a drug delivery system holds the same level of importance as the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) itself. A well-designed drug delivery system can enhance the stability, bioavailability, and targeting of the API. In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the field of drug delivery systems due to the emergence of new materials and advancements in biological technologies. These advancements have overcome the challenges associated with delivering complex compounds. The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, which utilizes lipid nanoparticles for RNA delivery, serves as a well-known and successful example. This achievement has provided a promising momentum for the development of nucleic acid-based drugs.
Surprisingly, the study of drug delivery systems has become an interdisciplinary subject that encompasses various technologies. These technologies encompass the application of new materials, nanoscale self-assembly chemistry, as well as gene editing-based recombinant lentivirus/adenovirus and engineered bacteria/cells as novel drug delivery vehicles.
Therefore, it is crucial to summarize the experimental approaches in this field. This will help reduce confusion among scientists working in the field, facilitate readers' understanding of essential experimental technologies, and aid in designing better experiments to increase the chances of success.
This Methods Collection aims to gather a comprehensive set of experimental methods in novel drug delivery systems, including but not limited to:
- Strategies for the preparation of nanoparticle-based delivery systems
- Synthesis of biodegradable polymeric delivery systems
- Preparation methods of pseudovirus, adenovirus, and virus-like particles
- Application of engineered bacteria in drug delivery
- Delivery methods of nucleic acid drugs