Invasive fungal infections (IFI) present a significant challenge for clinicians in a range of clinical settings, particularly in patients with a compromised immune system or following chemotherapy. They are associated with a high prevalence of illness and mortality.
Among the numerous therapeutic options, amphotericin B (AmB) is the most common drug used for the treatment of IFIs. AmB is the initial agent of choice in the clinic due to its efficacy against fungi and low resistance. However, its low solubility and permeability allows only intravenous administration, and the nephrotoxicity (kidney damage) of available AmB formulations limits its use to the most severe cases. Despite the first commercial formulation being approved in 1959, there are still only a few AmB formulations available on the market.
The cross-border research team from the Universities in Oslo and Copenhagen have highly complementary expertise within physical chemistry/soft matter and pharmacy. In this HALRIC pilot project they will focus on the development of a novel drug delivery system based on peptoids, biocompatible polymers that mimic peptides. The objective is to design and synthesize a series of sequence-defined poly(ethylene glycol) peptoid conjugates (PEG-peptoid) that will self-assemble into nanoparticles with an amorphous/crystalline dual core and optimize the process of AmB loading. The assemblies will be characterized using small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS), UV-vis spectroscopy, and the drug release profiles will be determined in various conditions.
For further information about this HALRIC pilot project, please contact:
Szymon Mikolaj Szostak
s.m.szostak@kjemi.uio.no
