Research
Thrusts
..... Nanostructures
..... Biomimetics
..... Bio-Nano
Jeffery Hughes - Research in Dr. Hughes' laboratory concentrates on understanding the physico-chemical properties of macromolecules, the biophysical factors involved in biomembrane fusion and how liposomes, and other biomolecules can be used in the delivery of drugs and other pharmaceutical applications. His group has focused on the design and synthesis of drug delivery systems which takes advantages of naturally occurring transport phenomena. This work has led to the class of compounds known as biodegradable pH-sensitive surfactants; they undergo a pH dependent ionization leading to increased surface activity and membrane fusion.
Dr. Hughes' laboratory devises synthetic systems to deliver macromolecules including oligonucleotides and plasmid DNA across membranes, and employs such systems to target macromolecules to cells and organs with particular interest in the brain and lung. The other research interest of Dr. Hughes, is the pre-formulation studies with polymers of nucleic acids. The research group is currently identifying pharmaceutical relevant factors which influence the solution and solid-phase stability of macromolecules such as oligonucleotides and plasmid DNA.
- Drug delivery
- Gene therapy
- Liposomes
- Membrane fusion
- Nucelic acid stability
- Transgene expression in the brain
- Targeted drug delivery
- Macromolecule formulation
- Macrophase biology