Le Lab Presents: Designing Future Therapeutics with Samir Mitragotri

TL;DR

Future therapeutics can be improved by designing delivery systems that overcome biological barriers while balancing efficacy and safety. Samir Mitragotri explains that developing a drug takes roughly $3 billion and 12 years, then explores approaches including ultrasound, the ionic liquid CAGE, and nanoparticles inspired by natural cells. Read on to see how these strategies could make drugs safer, more effective, and less costly.

Transcript

Thank you so much David for the introduction and invitation. I would like to tell you a little bit about the work that we have been doing in our lab. I'm an engineer by training. By the way, I'm a chemical engineer who turned bio-engineer. So, I'm going to tell you about my perspective on solving an important problem in designing therapeutics. My l... Read More

Key Insights

• 🇨🇷 The cost of developing new drugs is currently very high, and innovative drug delivery technologies are needed to reduce costs and improve efficacy.
• 🚚 Biological barriers pose challenges in drug delivery, and understanding and overcoming these barriers is crucial for effective drug development.
• 😒 The use of ultrasound, ionic liquids, and innovative nanoparticle designs are being explored to enhance drug delivery across various biological barriers.
• 😪 Mimicking the properties and behaviors of natural cells, such as red blood cells and macrophages, can lead to novel drug delivery strategies.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main challenge in designing future therapeutics?

The central challenge is delivering a drug effectively without compromising patient safety. Many promising molecules work in test tubes but cannot be given to people at an effective dose because the burden of safety is too high.

Q: Why are biological barriers a problem for drug delivery?

The body is designed to regulate its own metabolism, not to distribute drugs to the locations clinicians choose. Barriers such as the skin, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and brain can therefore prevent drugs from reaching their intended targets.

Q: How much time and money does developing a new drug require?

Samir Mitragotri says it takes roughly $3 billion and 12 years to develop a new drug, while noting that estimates vary by source. He compares that cost with the approximately $2.5 billion spent developing the Mars rover Curiosity.

Q: Why do promising drug candidates fail after laboratory testing?

Many molecules produce the desired effect on cells or model substrates but encounter safety problems in animals and humans. For example, potential chemotherapy drugs may kill cancer cells in a test tube but cannot be administered at the dose required for efficacy without causing harm.

Q: How could targeted drug delivery improve cancer treatment?

Selective delivery to a tumor site could make more cancer-killing molecules usable. It would concentrate treatment where it is needed instead of relying on uncontrolled distribution throughout the body.

Q: Why is delivering drugs through the skin difficult?

The skin is a formidable outer barrier whose job is to keep pathogens out and prevent water loss. Because of that protective function, it allows only a few small molecules to cross when they are placed on its surface.

Q: What technologies does Mitragotri's lab explore for overcoming biological barriers?

The lab explores ultrasound to make skin permeable and support transdermal delivery. It also studies an ionic liquid called CAGE for transporting proteins and peptides across the skin and gastrointestinal tract, along with innovative nanoparticle designs.

Q: How do nanoparticle design and natural cells inform drug delivery?

A nanoparticle's shape, flexibility, and softness can affect cellular uptake and how long it circulates in the bloodstream. The research also draws inspiration from natural cells such as red blood cells and macrophages to develop new delivery strategies.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker is an engineer-turned-bioengineer discussing the work done in their lab in the field of drug delivery and the importance of overcoming biological barriers.

• The high cost of drug development is a concern, with billions of dollars and several years required to develop a new drug.

• The speaker highlights the need to understand biological barriers and develop new tools and technologies to deliver drugs effectively and at a lower cost.