Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Inhalation therapy is at the cutting age of modern drug delivery research which impacts the treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. Pulmonary delivery of drugs gives the most direct access to drug target and delivery of powdered drugs via breath actuated dry powder inhaler (DPI) device provides the significant advantage over metered dose inhaler. Dry powders for inhalation formulation are carrier-based powder mixtures where particles with aerodynamic particle sizes of less than 5"m are mixed with large carriers for effective dispersion of micronized drugs to the deep lung. However, the delivery efficiency of drugs form currently available DPI system is not high, as in some cases only 12-40% of the inhaled dose (1) and the reason behind this in not clear. This project will take up surface characterization, adhesion/cohesion forces, mechanism of agglomeration/deagglomeration of micronized powders in the DPI formulations.
The specific aims of this project are to:
Aim 1: understand surface properties of micronized drugs/carriers for optimal delivery
of drugs from DPI
Aim 2: identify factors affecting the efficient delivery of micronized drugs from the powder mixtures
Aim 3: correlate between the surface functionalities with the drug dispersion
It may be expected that any development in DPI systems will earn enormous attention in pharmaceutical arena for the management of asthma and other lung disorders and will definitely have significant economic prospect by pharmaceutical entrepreneurs. Furthermore, outcome of this research will be published in high impact journals which
would increase the strength of our research activity to attract external funding for future research.
Methods and techniques that will be used in the course of this project: High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV, TSI, XPS, XRAD, SEM, SprayTec etc will be used to carry out this project.
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Nazrul Islam
