The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to reduce complications due to trauma. Current traumatic injury treatments are systemic and untargeted with unwanted side effects and low efficacy. The proposed project will develop a sustained-release, biodegradable, nanoparticle drug delivery system for treatment of soft tissue trauma complications. The successful commercialization of this technology may advance the state of the art in sustained release technologies and dramatically improve the standard of care for trauma patients by addressing critical needs to enhance medication compliance, as well as the efficacy and safety of medications prescribed following trauma surgery. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will address the needs to improve traumatic injury treatments through the development of a sustained-release, biodegradablem drug delivery platform that delivers post traumatic medications within the injured tissue thereby obviating the need for unnecessary systemic drug administration. Such a technology has the potential to improve the clinical outcomes of surgical procedures for patients with post traumatic injuries and reduce societal costs associated with additional surgeries and rehabilitation among trauma surgery patients. In addition, it is anticipated that this drug-device combination will reduce surgery times, save money, and prevent complications among affected patients. During Phase I, the team proposes to demonstrate in vitro and in vivo feasibility towards altering the ectopic bone microenvironment with the aid of nanotechnology that will prevent ectopic bone development and progression. The technology uses immunomodulatory nanoparticles loaded with the Hedgehog pathway inhibitor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
