Therapeutic Biomaterials: Engineering Material “Structure” to Modulate Biologic Delivery

Abstract

The ability to deliver therapeutics within and across biologic barriers is a much sought after goal. In this talk, I will discuss our recent work in developing nanostructured materials for biologic delivery as well as injectable micro/nanoscale materials for the modulation of fibrosis and immune activation. By incorporating micro and nanoscale features into biomaterials, one can modulate properties such as tissue permeability, matrix production, and cell activation. The understanding of how small scale topographies can influence the biological microenvironment allows us to design platforms for applications in therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration. Micro and nanostructured materials can add functionality to current drug delivery platforms while becoming an enabling technology leading to new basic discoveries in the pharmaceutical and biological sciences.

Dr. Tejal Desai
Professor, Bioengineering
Chair, Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences University of California, San Francisco

Tejal Desai is the Ernest L Prien Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences within the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine at UCSF, the director of the NIH training grant for the Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering at the UCB and UCSF, and the founding director of the UCSF/UC Berkeley Masters Program in Translational Medicine.  She was recently named the Inaugural Director of the UCSF Engineering and Applied Sciences Initiative known as HIVE (Health Innovation Via Engineering).