| Abstract: |
I will present new findings from projects related to the engineering of hydrogels to detect disease biomarkers for at-home diagnostic devices, and for passive and long-term release of drugs to manage diseases of the eye. First, I introduce a novel bead-based immunocomplex entrapment assay (ICEA) and a related enzyme-linked ICEA (ELICEA) that allow for rapid and selective sequestration and entrapment of disease biomarkers with minimal needs for user-intervention and equipment. For example, in ICEA, target molecule-entrapment is achieved simply by injecting a bond-cleaving buffer, while in ELICEA, one also injects a chromogenic substrate. In both cases, sedimented beads generate brilliantly colored or fluorescent signals whose intensity correlates linearly with the amount of biomarker in the sample. In proof-of-practice studies, we used ICEA and ELICEA platforms to rapidly detect the kappa-light chain, a biomarker of the Bence-Jones disease, which we detected at a concentration that would correspond to an early stage of the disease. We also show the ICEA and ELICEA platforms can be used for multiplexed detection of biomarkers within individual beads. In the second part of my presentation, I will discuss a new type of hydrogel for long-term release of drugs to the eye, including glaucoma. In these studies, we use betadine, an FDA-approved medication to bring about specific chemical reactions in the eye that lead to the formation of drug-entrapped hydrogel from fluid precursors. Further optimization of the composition and structure of the hydrogel is used to delay the rate of drug release allowing passive and sustained release of the medication for up to 30 days. At the end of the therapy, the hydrogel is removed from the conjunctiva simply by bathing the eye in a dilute solution of cysteamine, which is also approved by the FDA to manage ocular conditions. |
