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The specially modified nanoparticles have the capability of delivering therapeutic drugs to inflammation sites.

Specifically, the project will evaluate circulating macrophage-mediated nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery system for patients undergoing therapy for Post Traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA). The nanoparticles will be loaded with therapeutic drugs and phagocytosed by monocytes/macrophages in an effort to facilitate their reaching tissues that are inflamed due to PTOA.

Dr. Longobardi, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UNC in Chapel Hill, will test the distribution of drug-free nanoparticles at different stages of PTOA, before the OA onset and during OA progression.  The nanoparticles were developed by Dr. Jelena Janjic, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University.

This NC-TraCS grant, for 50K, will run from March 2021-March 2022.

You can learn more about innovative research being conducted in Dr. Longobardi’s lab at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, via this link.