• Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, 2009-2010, Novel Nano-Drug Combinations for the Treatment of Breast Cancer
• NIH, 2007-2011, Artificial Polymeric Lipoproteins as Drug Carriers

• 6,939,561 - Methods and compositions for polyene antibiotics with reduced toxicity, granted Sep 2005.
• 6,413,537 - Nystatin formulation having reduced toxicity, granted Jul 2002.
• 6,168,804 - Method for eliciting Th1-specific immune response, granted Jan 2001.

• "Polymeric micelles for the pH-dependent controlled, continuous low dose release of paclitaxel"

Alani AWG, Bae Y, Rao DA, et al., Biomaterials 31 (7): 1765-1772 Mar 2010. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(aspartate-hydrazide) (PEG-p(Asp-Hyd)) was modified using either levulinic acid (LEV) or 4-acetyl benzoic acid (4AB) attached via hydrazone bonds. Paclitaxel (PT-X) conjugated to the linkers formed PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-LEV-PTX) and PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-4AB-PTX). PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-LEV-PTX) and PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-4AB-PTX) assemble into unimodal polymeric micelles with diameters of 42 nm and 137 nm, respectively. PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-LEV-PTX) and PEG-p(Asp-Hyd-4AB-PTX) at a 1:1 and 1:5 molar ratio assemble into unimodal mixed polymeric micelles with diameters of 85 and 113 nm, respectively.

• "Multi-drug loaded polymeric micelles for simultaneous delivery of poorly soluble anticancer drugs"

Shin HC, Alani AWG, Rao DA, et al., Journal of Controlled Release 140 (3): Special Issue pgs 294-300 Dec 2009. Current clinical and preclinical anticancer formulations are limited by their use of toxic excipients and stability issues upon combining different drug formulations. We have found that poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(D,L lactic acid) (PEG-b-PLA) micelles can deliver multiple poorly water-soluble drugs at clinically relevant doses. Paclitaxel (PTX), etoposide (ETO), docetaxel (DCTX) and 17-allylamino-17-demethyoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) were solubilized individually in PEG-6-PLA micelles.

• "Asexual sporulation signalling regulates autolysis of Aspergillus nidulans via modulating the chitinase ChiB production"

Pocsi I, Leiter E, Kwon NJ, et al., Journal of Applied Microbiology 107 (2): 514-523 Aug 2009. Aims: Elucidation of the regulation of ChiB production in Aspergillus nidulans.

• "A Cremophor-Free Formulation for Tanespimycin (17-AAG) Using PEO-b-PDLLA Micelles: Characterization and Pharmacokinetics in Rats"

Xiong MP, Yanez JA, Kwon GS, et al., Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 98 (4): 1577-1586 Apr 2009. A CrEL-free formulation of 17-AAG was prepared using amphiphilic diblock micelles of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (PEO-b-PDLLA). Keywords: Geldanamycin; Cremophor EL; Polymeric Micelle; Drug Delivery.

• University of Kansas, Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Washington State University, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences