The Department of Biomedical Engineering welcomes Debra Auguste, an assistant professor at Harvard University, on "Cellular Analogues: A Drug Delivery Solution to a Dynamic Problem."

Abstract:
Cells do things that drug delivery vehicles cannot. They sense changes in their environment and respond by altering their behavior. In inflammation, molecular level control over membrane surface chemistry allows leukocytes (white blood cells) to alter their binding affinity. Leukocytes respond to inflammatory cytokines by changing the density and organization of cell adhesion molecules and lipids. This is the underlying mechanism that drives leukocyte rolling, adhesion, arrest and transmigration. We will demonstrate that the complementary organization of molecules on drug delivery vehicle surfaces relative to cell membrane receptors is critical for achieving strong, cooperative binding. We will also describe how we can induce changes in surface chemistry to alter binding affinity. In vivo results demonstrating targeting of inflamed vasculature in an atherosclerosis model will be presented. Vehicles designed to be responsive to their environment may transform cardiovascular and inflammatory medicine. The Auguste lab focuses on biomimetic strategies to address targeting, triggered release, and control of cell microenvironments.