This project is available through the MIBTP programme.. The successful applicant will join the MIBTP cohort and will take part in all of the training offered by the programme. For further details please visit the MIBTP website - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mibtp/pgstudy/icase/
Project outline
Biologics, such as proteins and peptides, have massive therapeutic potential, with many proteins being developed for clinical use since first approval of recombinant insulin in 1982. Although a non-invasive route of delivery would be much preferred, parenteral administration remains the predominant delivery route for the majority of therapeutic proteins, e.g. use of subcutaneous insulin in diabetes mellitus. Very few therapeutic proteins have progressed to Phase III clinical trials via the oral route because of its hostile environment, designed for the catabolism of nutrients, completely incompatible with the physiochemical nature of biologics, properties which in turn create difficulties in transportation from the alimentary canal to the systemic circulation.
For this reason, research at Aston has focussed on buccal delivery of biologics and it has recently been demonstrated that the transport of insulin across buccal mucosa can be modulated through use of amino acids as adjuvants1. It is now proposed to extend this work to study the use of engineered composite microparticles of biologics coated with amino acids to assist transport across an immortalised buccal cell-line1. It is hypothesized that these coatings will not only conserve biological activity, as has been demonstrated in the laboratory with other functional excipients, but will also modulate uptake through the buccal mucosa. The purpose of the proposed project is to study amino-acid protected composite particles carrying various representative biologics (insulin, lysozyme and bovine serum albumin representing low, medium and high molecular weight respectively) in buccal absorption. In this way, the factors and mechanisms involved in modulating the buccal transport of a range of biologics will be elucidated with the ultimate aim of informing better formulation of such agents and enabling more confident use of this non-invasive delivery route in future biopharmaceutical medicines.
The student will gain a unique interdisciplinary opportunity to study the mechanistic modulation of buccal transport of adjuvant coated biologic formulations by combining cell based assays (temporal and active/passive movement of biologics, confocal microscopy assisted trans / paracellular pathways) with complementary biophysical measurements (surface energy, surface area) using inverse gas chromatography. The research group at Aston will provide a challenging research training experience within the context of a mutually beneficial research collaboration with Aston Particle Technologies (APT). At APT, the student will have open access to isothermal dry particle coating technology2,3 and inverse gas chromatography.
Closing date for applications: 28th February 2021
Check eligibility and apply here
Please note
CASE students must fulfil the MIBTP entry requirements and will join the MIBTP cohort for the taught elements of the training year (October to December 2021). CASE students will complete a 3-month mini-project (at a non-home institution) between January and March before starting their PhD in April 2022. They will remain as an integral part of the MIBTP cohort and take part in the core networking activities and transferable skills training.
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