{"665671":{"#nid":"665671","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Mark Prausnitz Elected to National Academy of Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor and entrepreneur \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-r-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E has been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nae.edu\/289843\/NAENewClass2023\u0022\u003Eelected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)\u003C\/a\u003E, joining a membership that includes the nation\u0026rsquo;s most distinguished engineers. He is Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s 46th NAE member.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz is the J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ChBE) and director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery. He\u0026rsquo;s also the only Georgia Tech faculty member recognized as both a Regents\u0026rsquo; Professor and Regents\u0026rsquo; Entrepreneur, the highest academic titles awarded by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. He joins 105 new NAE members in the 2023 class along with 18 new international members.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/mark-prausnitz-elected-national-academy-engineering\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full story on the College of Engineering website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe honor is one of the highest professional distinctions for engineers\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The honor is one of the highest professional distinctions for engineers"}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2023-02-09 19:18:48","changed_gmt":"2023-02-13 20:07:32","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"665669":{"id":"665669","type":"image","title":"Mark Prausnitz - NAE","body":null,"created":"1675970095","gmt_created":"2023-02-09 19:14:55","changed":"1675970095","gmt_changed":"2023-02-09 19:14:55","alt":"Headshot of Mark Prausnitz with the National Academy of Engineering logo","file":{"fid":"251748","name":"prausnitz-nae-homepage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz-nae-homepage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz-nae-homepage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":626753,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz-nae-homepage.jpg?itok=un3FPfQm"}}},"media_ids":["665669"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJason Maderer\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"641905":{"#nid":"641905","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hydrogel Could Open New Path for Glaucoma Treatment Without Drugs or Surgery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a potential new treatment for the eye disease glaucoma that could replace daily eyedrops and surgery with a twice-a-year injection to control the buildup of pressure in the eye. The researchers envision the injection being done as an office procedure that could be part of regular patient visits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe possible treatment, which could become the first non-drug, non-surgical, long-acting therapy for glaucoma, uses the injection of a natural and biodegradable material to create a viscous hydrogel \u0026mdash; a water-absorbing crosslinked polymer structure \u0026mdash; that opens an alternate pathway for excess fluid to leave the eye.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The holy grail for glaucoma is an efficient way to lower the pressure that doesn\u0026rsquo;t rely on the patient putting drops in their eyes every day, doesn\u0026rsquo;t require a complicated surgery, has minimal side effects, and has a good safety profile,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/C.%20Ross-Ethier\u0022\u003ERoss Ethier\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Georgia Research Alliance Lawrence L. Gellerstedt Jr. Eminent Scholar in Bioengineering in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026ldquo;I am excited about this technique, which could be a game-changer for the treatment of glaucoma.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was supported by the National Eye Institute and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gra.org\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E, was published Dec. 7 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Science\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was conducted in animals, and shows that the approach significantly lowered the intraocular pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs many as 75 million people worldwide have glaucoma, which is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Glaucoma damage is caused by excess pressure in the eye that injures the optic nerve. Current treatments attempt to reduce this intraocular pressure through the daily application of eyedrops, or through surgery or implantation of medical devices, but these treatments are often unsuccessful.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo provide an alternative, Ethier teamed up with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-r-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, to use a tiny hollow needle to inject a polymer preparation into a structure just below the surface of the eye called the suprachoroidal space (SCS). Inside the eye, the material chemically crosslinks to form the hydrogel, which holds open a channel in the SCS that allows aqueous humor from within the eye to drain out of the eye through the alternative pathway.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are normally two pathways for the aqueous humor fluid to leave the eye. The dominant path is through a structure known as the trabecular meshwork, which is located at the front of the eye. The lesser pathway is through the SCS, which normally has only a very small gap. In glaucoma, the dominant pathway is blocked, so to lessen pressure, treatments are created to open the lesser pathway enough to let the aqueous humor flow out.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this research, the hydrogel props open the SCS path. A hollow microneedle less than a millimeter long is used to inject a droplet (about 50 microliters) of the hydrogel-precursor material. That gel structure can keep the SCS pathway open for a period of months.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We inject a viscous material and keep it at the site of the injection at the interface between the back of the eye and the front of the eye where the suprachoroidal space begins,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;By opening up that space, we tap a pathway that would not otherwise be utilized efficiently to remove liquid from the eye.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe injection would take just a few minutes, and would involve a doctor making a small injection just below the surface of the eye in combination with numbing and cleaning the injection site. In the study, the researchers, including veterinary ophthalmologist and first author J. Jeremy Chae, did not observe significant inflammation resulting from the procedure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pressure reduction was sustained for four months. The researchers are now working to extend that time by modifying the polymer material \u0026mdash; hyaluronic acid \u0026mdash; with a goal of providing treatment benefits for at least six months. That would coincide with the office visit schedule of many patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If we can get to a twice-a-year treatment, we would not disrupt the current clinical process,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;We believe the injection could be done as an office procedure during routine exams that the patients are already getting. Patients may not need to do anything to treat their glaucoma until their next office visit.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond extending the time between treatments, the researchers will need to demonstrate that the injection can be repeated without harming the eye. The procedure will also have to be tested in other animals before moving into human trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The idea of having a \u0026lsquo;one-and-done\u0026rsquo; treatment that lasts for six months would be particularly helpful for those whose access to healthcare is non-optimal,\u0026rdquo; Ethier said. \u0026ldquo;Having a long-acting therapy would have an additional advantage during times of pandemic or other disruption when access to healthcare is more difficult.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute (R01 EY025286) and by the Georgia Research Alliance. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Prausnitz serves as a consultant to companies, is a founding shareholder of companies, and is an inventor on patents licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products (Clearside Biomedical). These potential conflicts of interest have been disclosed and are being managed by Georgia Tech. J. Jeremy Chae, Jae Hwan Jung, Ethier, and Prausnitz are listed as co-inventors on an IP filing related to this study.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: J. Jeremy Chae, et al., \u0026ldquo;Drug-free, Non-surgical Reduction of Intraocular Pressure for Four Months After Suprachoroidal Injection of Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Science\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/advs.202001908\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/advs.202001908\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a potential new treatment for the eye disease glaucoma that could replace daily eyedrops and surgery with a twice-a-year injection to control the buildup of pressure in the eye. The researchers envision the injection being done as an office procedure that could be part of regular patient visits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a potential new treatment for the eye disease glaucoma that could replace daily eye drops and surgery."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-12-07 19:27:05","changed_gmt":"2020-12-07 19:30:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"641902":{"id":"641902","type":"image","title":"Close-up of Eye","body":null,"created":"1607368440","gmt_created":"2020-12-07 19:14:00","changed":"1607368440","gmt_changed":"2020-12-07 19:14:00","alt":"Close-up of eye","file":{"fid":"243879","name":"Eye-001 v2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Eye-001%20v2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Eye-001%20v2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":943053,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Eye-001%20v2.jpg?itok=yvPHWBtW"}},"641903":{"id":"641903","type":"image","title":"Microneedle and eye","body":null,"created":"1607368518","gmt_created":"2020-12-07 19:15:18","changed":"1607368518","gmt_changed":"2020-12-07 19:15:18","alt":"Microneedle and eye","file":{"fid":"243880","name":"ocular_needle_with_eye2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ocular_needle_with_eye2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ocular_needle_with_eye2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":792430,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ocular_needle_with_eye2.jpg?itok=wAtu1jyp"}}},"media_ids":["641902","641903"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"17401","name":"Glaucoma"},{"id":"1915","name":"eye"},{"id":"3356","name":"hydrogel"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"38581","name":"eye disease"},{"id":"126571","name":"go-PetitInstitute"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"641665":{"#nid":"641665","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Extraction of Largely Unexplored Bodily Fluid May Provide New Biomarkers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing an array of tiny needles that are almost too small to see, researchers have developed a minimally invasive technique for sampling a largely unexplored human bodily fluid that could potentially provide a new source of information for routine clinical monitoring and diagnostic testing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBiochemical information about the body most commonly comes from analysis of blood \u0026mdash; which represents only 6% of bodily fluids \u0026mdash; but valuable information may also be found in other bodily fluids that are traditionally hard to get. Researchers have now developed a way to extract dermal interstitial fluid (ISF), which circulates between cells in bodily tissues, using a simple through-the-skin technique that could provide a new approach for studying the metabolic products of cells, obtaining diagnostic biomarkers, and identifying potential toxins absorbed through the skin. Because the dermal interstitial fluid doesn\u0026rsquo;t clot like blood, the microneedle-based extraction could offer a new approach for continuous monitoring of glucose and other key health indicators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResults of a human trial on the microneedle-based ISF sampling is reported Nov. 25 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience Translational Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E. The study, conducted by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and Children\u0026rsquo;s Healthcare of Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Interstitial fluid originates in the blood and then leaks out of capillaries to bring nutrients to cells in the body\u0026rsquo;s tissues. Because interstitial fluid is in direct communication with the cells, it should have information about the tissues themselves beyond what can be measured from testing the blood,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-r-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents Professor and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;This microneedle-based technique could provide a minimally invasive and simple way to access this interstitial fluid to make it available for medical diagnostic and research applications.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EISF has been difficult to sample. Indwelling instruments for monitoring glucose in ISF already exist, and other researchers have used surgically implanted tubing and vacuum-created blisters to extract ISF through the skin, but these techniques are not suitable for routine clinical diagnostic use.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers, led by first author Pradnya Samant, used a patch containing five solid stainless steel microneedles that were a hundredth of an inch in length. By pressing the patch at an angle into the skin of 50 human subjects, they created shallow micropores that reached only into the outer layer of skin containing ISF. The researchers then applied a suction to the area of skin containing the pores and obtained enough ISF to do three types of analysis. For comparison, they also took blood samples and obtained ISF using the older blister technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo accurately determine the biomarkers available in the ISF, the researchers needed to avoid getting blood mixed with the ISF. Though major blood vessels don\u0026rsquo;t exist in the outer layers of skin, capillaries there can be damaged by the insertion of the microneedles. In their studies, the researchers found that if they slowly ramped up the suction after inserting the microneedles, they could obtain fluid clear of blood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe overall extraction procedure took about 20 minutes for each test subject. The procedure was well tolerated by the volunteers, and the microscopic pores healed quickly within a day, with minimal irritation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe extracted fluid was analyzed at Emory University using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques to identify the chemical species it contained. Overall, there were about 10,000 unique compounds, most of which were also found in the blood samples. However, about 12% of the chemical species were not found in the blood, and others were found in the ISF at higher levels than in the blood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The skin is metabolically active, and it is full of cells that are changing the fluid,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;We found that some of the compounds were unique to the ISF, or enriched there, and that is what we were hoping to find.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile not all the compounds unique to the ISF could be analyzed, the research team identified components of products that are applied to the skin \u0026mdash; such as hand lotions \u0026mdash; and pesticides that may enter the body through the skin. This discovery could set the stage for use of the microneedle technique for dermatological and toxicology studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you want to look at what accumulates in the skin over time, this may provide a way to obtain information about those kinds of exposures,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;These are materials that may accumulate in the tissues of our body, but are not found in the bloodstream.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also determined the pharmacokinetics of caffeine and the pharmacodynamics of glucose \u0026mdash; both small molecules \u0026mdash; from the ISF, indicating that that dynamic biomarker information could be obtained from the technique. Those measurements suggested that ISF could provide a means for continuously monitoring such compounds, taking advantage of the fact that the fluid does not clot.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were encouraged that we found a good correlation between the blood and interstitial fluid glucose, which suggests we might be able to have a continuous glucose monitoring system based on this technology,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. A microneedle-based system could provide a less invasive alternative to existing implantable glucose sensors by allowing the sensing components to remain on the surface of the skin.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn future research, Prausnitz would like to reduce the time required to extract the ISF and simplify the process by eliminating the vacuum pump. Additional study of the compounds found in the fluid could also show whether they have medical diagnostic value.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;d like to make this microneedle-based technique available to the research community to make ISF routinely available for study,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Tissue interstitial fluid could be a novel source of biomarkers that complements conventional sources. This research provides a means to study this further.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also included Nicholas Raviele and Juan Mena-Lapaix from Georgia Tech; and Megan M. Niedzwiecki, Douglas I. Walker, Gary W. Miller, Vilinh Tran, Eric I. Felner, and Dean P. Jones from Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECITATION:\u0026nbsp;Pradnya P. Samant, \u0026quot;Sampling interstitial fluid for human skin using a microneedle patch.\u0026quot; (Science Translational Medicine, 25 November 2020)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/stm.sciencemag.org\/content\/12\/571\/eaaw0285\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/stm.sciencemag.org\/content\/12\/571\/eaaw0285\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (U2CES026560, P30ES020953, R01ES023485, P30ES019776, S10OD018006) and by Children\u0026rsquo;s Healthcare of Atlanta. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Prausnitz is an inventor of patents licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products, is a paid advisor to companies developing microneedle-based products, and is a founder\/shareholder of companies developing microneedle-based products (Micron Biomedical). This potential conflict of interest has been disclosed and is managed by Georgia Tech. Pradnya P. Samant and Prausnitz are inventors on a patent application (WO2019126735A1) submitted by Georgia Tech Research Corporation that covers ISF collection methods presented in this study.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nwww.rh.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu) (404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing an array of tiny needles that are almost too small to see, researchers have developed a minimally invasive technique for sampling a largely unexplored human bodily fluid that could potentially provide a new source of information for routine clinical monitoring and diagnostic testing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Microneedle patches could provide a means for extracting interstitial fluid to study possible new biomarkers."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-11-25 19:38:47","changed_gmt":"2020-11-25 20:51:25","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"641659":{"id":"641659","type":"image","title":"Interstitial fluid compared to blood","body":null,"created":"1606332406","gmt_created":"2020-11-25 19:26:46","changed":"1606332406","gmt_changed":"2020-11-25 19:26:46","alt":"Vials of interstitial fluid and blood on a gloved hand","file":{"fid":"243814","name":"interstitial-fluid-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":418042,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/interstitial-fluid-2.jpg?itok=FnqK4ja5"}},"641660":{"id":"641660","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patches for extracting interstitial fluid","body":null,"created":"1606332502","gmt_created":"2020-11-25 19:28:22","changed":"1606332502","gmt_changed":"2020-11-25 19:28:22","alt":"Microneedle patches for extracting interstitial fluid","file":{"fid":"243815","name":"interstitial-fluid-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":490811,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/interstitial-fluid-3.jpg?itok=MbL9ppyh"}},"641666":{"id":"641666","type":"image","title":"Interstitial fluid compared to blood - 2","body":null,"created":"1606336868","gmt_created":"2020-11-25 20:41:08","changed":"1606336868","gmt_changed":"2020-11-25 20:41:08","alt":"Vials of interstitial fluid and blood in a hand","file":{"fid":"243820","name":"interstitial-fluid-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":371144,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/interstitial-fluid-1.jpg?itok=lkD42O9Z"}},"641667":{"id":"641667","type":"image","title":"Size comparison of a microneedle patch and hypodermic needle","body":null,"created":"1606336986","gmt_created":"2020-11-25 20:43:06","changed":"1606336986","gmt_changed":"2020-11-25 20:43:06","alt":"Size comparison of microneedle patch and hypodermic needle","file":{"fid":"243821","name":"interstitial-fluid-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/interstitial-fluid-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":528863,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/interstitial-fluid-5.jpg?itok=PQSxQm5U"}}},"media_ids":["641659","641660","641660","641666","641667"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"178947","name":"interstitial fluid"},{"id":"7214","name":"biomarker"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"1440","name":"blood"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"633395":{"#nid":"633395","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microscopic STAR Particles Offer New Potential Treatment for Skin Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESkin diseases affect half of the world\u0026rsquo;s population, but many treatments are not effective, require frequent injections, or cause significant side effects. But what if there was a treatment that eliminated injections, reduced side effects, and increased drug effectiveness? A skin therapy with these properties may be on the horizon from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-r-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u0026rsquo;s\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/drugdelivery.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDrug Delivery Lab\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published on March 9, 2020, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E, Prausnitz and his team of researchers report on research using a skin cream infused with microscopic particles, named STAR particles. To the naked eye, STAR particles look like a powder, but closer inspection reveals tiny microneedle projections sticking out from the particles like a microscopic star. A particle-containing cream could potentially facilitate better treatment of skin diseases including psoriasis, warts, and certain types of skin cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the successful study of his microneedle patches for vaccination, Prausnitz and postdoctoral scholar Andrew Tadros have advanced the technology with the objective of treating skin conditions by simply rubbing STAR particles on the skin. In a study in mice, skin cancer tumors were treated with 5-fluorouracil, a cancer therapy drug that works by limiting replication of abnormal cells. Tumor growth was inhibited only when the drug was rubbed on the skin above the tumor in combination with STAR particles, whereas the drug without STAR particles was much less effective.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Andrew [Tadros] and I teamed up to adapt the microneedle technology and make it useful, especially in dermatology,\u0026rdquo; said Prausnitz, Regents Professor and J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Microneedle patches are good at administering drugs or vaccines to a small area of skin, but many dermatological conditions are spread over larger areas. Rather than trying to make really big patches, which would be difficult to use, we ultimately arrived at STAR particles that can be rubbed on the skin \u0026ndash; just like any skin lotion \u0026ndash; and poke tiny holes in the skin to better deliver drugs.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESTAR particles are mixed into a therapeutic cream or gel and applied to the skin, painlessly creating micropores in the skin\u0026rsquo;s surface that dramatically \u0026ndash; but temporarily \u0026ndash; increase skin permeability to drugs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problem is that most drugs are not absorbed well into skin, so often a drug needs to be given to the whole body by pill or injection just to treat the skin. Exposing the whole body to dermatological drugs often leads to unwanted side effects such as nausea or organ damage. Fortunately, the barrier layer of skin \u0026ndash; called the stratum corneum \u0026ndash; is thinner than the width of a human hair. While STAR particles are tiny, they are large enough to poke through this barrier layer when rubbed on the skin and let drugs enter the body through the micropores without pain.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMore effectively delivering medicine directly to where it\u0026rsquo;s needed could improve treatments for patients dealing with many kinds of skin diseases. Oral methotrexate is a common course of treatment for psoriasis \u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp; a dermatological condition in which skin cells build up and form scales and itchy, dry patches \u0026ndash; but because the therapy is systemic, it exposes the whole body to a drug that can cause serious side effects like diarrhea, hair loss, and liver problems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz said doctors must weigh the costs of exposing the whole body to a drug versus treating psoriasis topically, which may be less effective. That\u0026rsquo;s where STAR particles could provide value.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Based on our studies, you could feasibly combine methotrexate with STAR particles into a cream and localize the therapy where it is needed,\u0026rdquo; Tadros said. \u0026ldquo;The STAR particles in the cream would enable drugs to get into skin and treat diseases locally, right where it needs to be treated, and without exposing the whole body to the drug.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESkin creams that deliver drug therapies could widen the range of compounds administered topically, Prausnitz and Tadros suggested. Non-medicinal creams infused with STAR particles have been tested on humans, who generally reported experiencing a mild and comfortable tingling sensation, but no pain or skin irritation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach STAR particle is no larger than a millimeter, with sharp and strong microneedle structures protruding from the surface that are 100 to 300 microns long. While the particles are barely perceptible to the human eye, the microneedles on them are not.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, when mixed in with a cream, the STAR particles disappear from sight. The research team uses a laser to make the particles from ceramic materials like titanium dioxide, a common ingredient in sunscreens and other cosmetic products.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Titanium dioxide is a common material that we have adapted to make STAR particles,\u0026rdquo; said Prausnitz. \u0026ldquo;The material is well established, but it\u0026rsquo;s the star-shaped geometry of the particle that\u0026rsquo;s new.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz said he hopes to scale the STAR particles for commercial use not only in dermatology, but for cosmetic purposes as well, where they could potentially deliver anti-aging treatments without injections or other harsh procedures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our research philosophy is to develop an understanding of biomedical science and engineering technology, and then bring them together to create something that is practical and can benefit patients,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz and Tadros have started a new company called Microstar Biotech that\u0026rsquo;s working to commercialize the STAR particle technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Georgia Tech has been instrumental in enabling us to bring this research to the forefront of the medical field, but universities can only do so much,\u0026rdquo; said Prausnitz. \u0026ldquo;Commercialization by a company is the mechanism to bring this novel research to the public for their benefit, and I\u0026rsquo;m hopeful for the future of STAR particles.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResults of the study are published in the March issue of the medical journal Nature Medicine. This work was supported financially by the Georgia Research Alliance and as a joint project of the CDC Foundation and UNICEF.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPrausnitz and Tadros are inventors of the STAR particle technology used in this study and have ownership interest in Microstar Biotech LLC, which is developing technology related to this study. They are entitled to royalties derived from Microstar Biotech\u0026rsquo;s future sales of products related to the research. These potential conflicts of interest have been disclosed and are overseen by the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Georgia Parmelee\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new therapy using a skin cream infused with microscopic STAR particles and a therapeutic drug could facilitate better treatment of skin diseases. The therapy is\u0026nbsp;described in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new therapy using a skin cream infused with microscopic STAR particles and a therapeutic drug could facilitate better treatment of skin diseases."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-03-09 13:48:40","changed_gmt":"2020-03-09 15:59:27","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-03-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"633390":{"id":"633390","type":"image","title":"STAR particles for treating skin diseases","body":null,"created":"1583760641","gmt_created":"2020-03-09 13:30:41","changed":"1583936496","gmt_changed":"2020-03-11 14:21:36","alt":"Examples of STAR particles","file":{"fid":"241001","name":"STAR-particles5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":286429,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/STAR-particles5.jpg?itok=z_qx6cmm"}},"633392":{"id":"633392","type":"image","title":"Researchers with samples of STAR particles","body":null,"created":"1583760794","gmt_created":"2020-03-09 13:33:14","changed":"1640183960","gmt_changed":"2021-12-22 14:39:20","alt":"Researchers with STAR particles","file":{"fid":"241003","name":"STAR-particles3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":796432,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/STAR-particles3.jpg?itok=L062ZpHE"}},"633393":{"id":"633393","type":"image","title":"STAR particles compared to U.S. penny","body":null,"created":"1583760994","gmt_created":"2020-03-09 13:36:34","changed":"1583936458","gmt_changed":"2020-03-11 14:20:58","alt":"STAR particles with penny","file":{"fid":"241004","name":"STAR-particles-on-penny.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles-on-penny.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/STAR-particles-on-penny.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":378565,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/STAR-particles-on-penny.jpg?itok=1V8sR8bS"}}},"media_ids":["633390","633392","633393"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"184192","name":"STAR particles"},{"id":"1963","name":"particles"},{"id":"184194","name":"dermatology"},{"id":"170850","name":"skin"},{"id":"184195","name":"skin disease"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"619701":{"#nid":"619701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Contraceptive Jewelry Could Offer a New Family Planning Approach","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFamily planning for women might one day be as simple as putting on an earring.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA report published recently in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Controlled Release\u003C\/em\u003E describes a technique for administering contraceptive hormones through special backings on jewelry such as earrings, wristwatches, rings or necklaces. The contraceptive hormones are contained in patches applied to portions of the jewelry in contact with the skin, allowing the drugs to be absorbed into the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInitial testing suggests the contraceptive jewelry may deliver sufficient amounts of hormone to provide contraception, though no human testing has been done yet. A goal for the new technique is to improve user compliance with drug regimens that require regular dosages. Beyond contraceptives, the jewelry-based technique might also be used for delivering other drugs through the skin.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The more contraceptive options that are available, the more likely it is that the needs of individual women can be met,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/mark-r-prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents Professor and the J. Erskine Love Jr. chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;Because putting on jewelry may already be part of a woman\u0026rsquo;s daily routine, this technique may facilitate compliance with the drug regimen. This technique could more effectively empower some women to prevent unintended pregnancies.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis proof-of-concept research was supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under a subcontract funded by FHI 360.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EContraceptive jewelry adapts transdermal patch technology that is already used to administer drugs that prevent motion sickness, support smoking cessation, and control the symptoms of menopause, but have never been incorporated into jewelry before. Contraceptive patches are also already available, but Prausnitz believes pairing them with jewelry may prove attractive to some women \u0026ndash; and allow more discreet use of the drug delivery technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is a lot of experience with making and using conventional transdermal patches,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We are taking this established technology, making the patch smaller and using jewelry to help apply it. We think that earring patches can expand the scope of transdermal patches to provide additional impact.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPostdoctoral Fellow Mohammad Mofidfar, Senior Research Scientist Laura O\u0026rsquo;Farrell and Prausnitz tested the concept on animal models, first on ears from pigs. Test patches mounted on earring backs and containing the hormone levonorgestrel were also applied to the skin of hairless rats. To simulate removal of the earrings during sleep, the researchers applied the patches for 16 hours, then removed them for eight hours. Testing suggested that even though levels dropped while the earrings were removed, the patch could produce necessary amounts of the hormone in the bloodstream.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe earring patch tested by the researchers consisted of three layers. One layer is impermeable and includes an adhesive to hold it onto an earring back, the underside of a wristwatch or the inside surface of a necklace or ring. A middle layer of the patch contains the contraceptive drug in solid form. The outer layer is a skin adhesive to help stick to skin so the hormone can be transferred. Once in the skin, the drug can move into the bloodstream and circulate through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the technique ultimately is used for contraception in humans, the earring back would need to be changed periodically, likely on a weekly basis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe contraceptive jewelry was originally designed for use in developing countries where access to health care services may limit access to long-acting contraceptives such as injectables, implants and IUDs. However, Prausnitz says the technology may be attractive beyond that initial audience. \u0026ldquo;We think contraceptive jewelry could be appealing and helpful to women all around the world,\u0026rdquo; said Prausnitz.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested patches adhered to earring backs, about one square centimeter in area, and placed them tightly on the skin of the test animals. Earring backs and watches may be most useful for administering drugs because they remain in close contact with the skin to allow drug transfer. The dose delivered by a patch is generally proportional to the area of skin contact.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The advantage of incorporating contraceptive hormone into a universal earring back is that it can be paired with many different earrings,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz noted. \u0026ldquo;A woman could acquire these drug-loaded earring backs and then use them with various earrings she might want to wear.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough transdermal drug-delivery patches have been available since 1979, testing would be required to determine whether the earring patch is safe and effective. In addition, research would be required to determine whether the concept would be attractive to women in different cultures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We need to understand not only the effectiveness and economics of contraceptive jewelry, but also the social and personal factors that come into play for women all around the world,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;We would have to make sure that this contraceptive jewelry concept is something that women would actually want and use.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique could potentially be used to deliver other pharmaceuticals, though it would only be suitable for skin-permeable drugs that require administration of quantities small enough to fit into the patches.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We think there are uses beyond contraceptive hormones, but there will always be a limitation that the drug has to be effective with a low enough dose to fit into the limited space in the patch,\u0026rdquo; Prausnitz said. \u0026ldquo;It also should be a drug that would benefit from continuous delivery from a patch and that is administered to a patient population interested in using pharmaceutical jewelry.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe earring patch is designed to add another contraceptive option for women. \u0026ldquo;Pharmaceutical jewelry introduces a novel delivery method that may make taking contraceptives more appealing,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;Making it more appealing should make it easier to remember to use it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FHI 360, USAID or the United States Government.\u0026nbsp; This research was supported by USAID cooperative agreement AID-OAA-15-00045 under a subcontract funded by FHI 360 as a proof-of-concept study (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fhi360.org\/projects\/envision-fp\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.fhi360.org\/projects\/envision-fp\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mohammad Mofidfar, Laura O\u0026rsquo;Farrell and Mark R. Prausnitz, \u0026ldquo;Pharmaceutical jewelry: Earring patch for transdermal delivery of contraceptive hormone,\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Controlled Release\u003C\/em\u003E, 2019) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jconrel.2019.03.011\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jconrel.2019.03.011\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStay informed about the latest Georgia Tech research.\u0026nbsp;Subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter at\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022\u003Ewww.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFamily planning for women might one day be as simple as putting on an earring.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Family planning for women might one day be as simple as putting on an earring."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-03-27 00:32:50","changed_gmt":"2019-03-27 00:35:42","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"619697":{"id":"619697","type":"image","title":"Earring with transdermal patch","body":null,"created":"1553645829","gmt_created":"2019-03-27 00:17:09","changed":"1553645829","gmt_changed":"2019-03-27 00:17:09","alt":"Contraceptive earring in a hand","file":{"fid":"235940","name":"contraceptive-jewelry_8339.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8339.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8339.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":367519,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8339.jpg?itok=uCDG6om0"}},"619696":{"id":"619696","type":"image","title":"Earring on a woman\u0027s ear","body":null,"created":"1553645687","gmt_created":"2019-03-27 00:14:47","changed":"1553645687","gmt_changed":"2019-03-27 00:14:47","alt":"Contraceptive earring on a woman\u0027s ear","file":{"fid":"235939","name":"contraceptive-jewelry_8368-horiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368-horiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368-horiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":715514,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368-horiz.jpg?itok=i7KMq6mk"}},"619699":{"id":"619699","type":"image","title":"Contraceptive jewelry","body":null,"created":"1553646066","gmt_created":"2019-03-27 00:21:06","changed":"1553646066","gmt_changed":"2019-03-27 00:21:06","alt":"Contraceptive jewelry","file":{"fid":"235942","name":"contraceptive-jewelry_8348.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8348.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8348.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":212684,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8348.jpg?itok=xz5ySRgp"}},"619698":{"id":"619698","type":"image","title":"Contraceptive earring patch","body":null,"created":"1553645968","gmt_created":"2019-03-27 00:19:28","changed":"1553645968","gmt_changed":"2019-03-27 00:19:28","alt":"Contraceptive earring back","file":{"fid":"235941","name":"contraceptive-jewelry_8354.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8354.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8354.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":309828,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8354.jpg?itok=PkYiMx0-"}},"619700":{"id":"619700","type":"image","title":"Vertical - earring on a woman\u0027s ear","body":null,"created":"1553646193","gmt_created":"2019-03-27 00:23:13","changed":"1553646193","gmt_changed":"2019-03-27 00:23:13","alt":"Contraceptive earring on a woman\u0027s ear - vertical format","file":{"fid":"235943","name":"contraceptive-jewelry_8368.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":433662,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/contraceptive-jewelry_8368.jpg?itok=H8CcKPQc"}}},"media_ids":["619697","619696","619699","619698","619700"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180159","name":"contraceptive"},{"id":"7537","name":"patch"},{"id":"7498","name":"transdermal"},{"id":"180893","name":"contraceptive jewelry"},{"id":"180166","name":"family planning"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"489991":{"#nid":"489991","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Professor Prausnitz Wins Georgia Bio Innovation Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERegents\u2019 Professor Mark Prausnitz has been selected as one of three recipients of \u003Ca title=\u0022Georgia Bio\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gabio.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Bio\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s 2016 Innovation Awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe awards, which will be presented January 28 at Atlanta\u2019s Fox Theatre, honor the department, institution, company or individuals who are forging new ground by thinking outside traditional paradigms to create unique technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz, who holds the J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair at Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is being recognized for his success in translating science into useful products that will have a positive impact on the health of individuals and the population at large. He is the key scientific member of teams that have taken fundamental discoveries in microneedles and turned them into products to treat diseases of the eye and for cost-effective administration of vaccines to the global community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz leads a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/drugdelivery.chbe.gatech.edu\/index.html\u0022\u003Eresearch group\u003C\/a\u003E of more than 30 people working to develop novel mechanisms and technology to enhance and target drug and vaccine delivery for medical applications. His work has produced more than 220 research papers and more than 35 issued or pending U.S. patents (in addition to international filings).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2011, he co-founded Clearside Biomedical, which has raised $48 million in funding and is running three phase 2 or 3 clinical trials to treat inflammatory conditions in the back of the eye using the novel microneedle injection technology developed in Prausnitz\u2019s lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, he co-founded Micron Biomedical, which is a clinical-stage company that seeks to commercialize microneedle patch technology developed in Prausnitz\u0027s lab for needle-free vaccination against influenza, polio and other diseases and self-administration of biopharmaceuticals without injections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Bio\u0026nbsp;is the state\u2019s life science industry association whose members include pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, medical centers, universities and research institutes, government groups and other business organizations involved in the development of life sciences related products and services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther winners of Georgia Bio\u0027s 2016 Innovation Award include NFANT Labs and Abeome Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Professor Prausnitz Wins Georgia Bio Innovation Award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERegents\u2019 Professor Mark Prausnitz has been selected as one of three recipients of Georgia Bio\u2019s 2016 Innovation Awards.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor Prausnitz Wins Georgia Bio Innovation Award"}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2016-01-25 14:44:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:27","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"357811":{"id":"357811","type":"image","title":"M. Prausnitz Microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449245767","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:07","changed":"1475895091","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:31","alt":"M. Prausnitz Microneedle patch","file":{"fid":"202068","name":"prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5386575,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png?itok=cRxO4qSw"}}},"media_ids":["357811"],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"171598","name":"Innovation Award"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E), 404-385-2299\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"444531":{"#nid":"444531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Love Chair and Professorships Awarded","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThree faculty members in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u0026nbsp; have been appointed to prestigious endowed positions made possible by the generosity of the family of the late J. Erskine Love Jr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003ERegents\u2019 Professor \u003Ca title=\u0022Mark Prausnitz\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded the J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), a position previously held by Professor Chuck Eckert until his retirement in 2014.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003EProfessors \u003Ca title=\u0022Chris Jones\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/jones\u0022\u003EChris Jones\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca title=\u0022Hang Lu\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lu\u0022\u003EHang Lu\u003C\/a\u003E have both been awarded Love Family Professorships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003E\u201cThese positions are just part of an amazing legacy of generosity to Georgia Tech by the Love family, which now includes multiple endowed positions in ChBE and in other units on campus, as well as many other contributions,\u201d says ChBE School Chair David Sholl.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003E\u201cMark, Hang, and Chris are all excellent examples of the ChBE aim to \u2018Think Big, Solve Big.\u2019 Their research is truly changing the world. It is wonderful to be able to honor their past and future accomplishments with these prestigious endowed positions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003ELong-time Tech supporter\u0026nbsp; J. Erskine Love Jr. (ME 1949) received the Georgia Tech Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon alumni of the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Love Chair and Professorships Awarded"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003EThree faculty members in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have been appointed to prestigious endowed positions made possible by the generosity of the family of the late J. Erskine Love Jr.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Love Chair and Professorships Awarded"}],"uid":"27271","created_gmt":"2015-09-03 14:31:10","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:29","author":"Brad Dixon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"309141":{"id":"309141","type":"image","title":"Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449244726","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:58:46","changed":"1475895017","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:17","alt":"Mark Prausnitz","file":{"fid":"199818","name":"prausnitz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":487904,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_0.jpg?itok=2BuSOBa7"}},"391881":{"id":"391881","type":"image","title":"Hang Lu","body":null,"created":"1449246332","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:25:32","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Hang Lu","file":{"fid":"75571","name":"hanglu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hanglu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hanglu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1840217,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hanglu.jpg?itok=etLzj_fm"}},"56263":{"id":"56263","type":"image","title":"Dr. Chris Jones","body":null,"created":"1449175629","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:47:09","changed":"1475894499","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:39","alt":"Dr. Chris Jones","file":{"fid":"190427","name":"tbq64701.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbq64701_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbq64701_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1109648,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbq64701_0.jpg?itok=Jw5-5nLm"}}},"media_ids":["309141","391881","56263"],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1700","name":"Chris Jones"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"898","name":"Hang Lu"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:braddixon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebraddixon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E), 404-385-2299\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["braddixon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"399731":{"#nid":"399731","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microneedle patch for measles vaccination could be a global game changer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new microneedle patch being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could make it easier to vaccinate people against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedle patch is designed to be administered by minimally trained workers and to simplify storage, distribution, and disposal compared with conventional vaccines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedle patch under development measures about a square centimeter and is administered with the press of a thumb. The underside of the patch is lined with 100 solid, conical microneedles made of polymer, sugar, and vaccine that are a fraction of a millimeter long. When the patch is applied, the microneedles press into the upper layers of the skin; they dissolve within a few minutes, releasing the vaccine. The patch can then be discarded.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach day, 400 children are killed by measles complications worldwide. With no needles, syringes, sterile water or sharps disposals needed, the microneedle patch offers great hope of a new tool to reach the world\u2019s children faster, even in the most remote areas,\u201d said James Goodson, Ph.D., epidemiologist from the CDC\u2019s Global Immunization Division. \u201cThis advancement would be a major boost in our efforts to eliminate this disease, with more vaccines administered and more lives saved at less cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting the measles vaccine to remote areas is expected to be easier because the patch is more stable at varying temperatures than the currently available vaccines and takes up less space than the standard vaccine. Because microneedles dissolve in the skin, there is no disposal of needles, reducing the risk of accidental needlesticks. The measles patch is expected be manufactured at a cost comparable to the currently available needle and syringe vaccine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwenty million people are affected by measles each year. Unfortunately, global coverage with the measles vaccine has been stagnant for the last few years at around 85 percent, which is well below the coverage of up to 95 percent needed to interrupt transmission of the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause measles is vaccine-preventable and the measles virus survives only in human hosts, the world\u2019s health officials are aiming for measles elimination. Having a simple patch administered by minimally trained vaccinators could help increase vaccination coverage and achieve the goal of measles elimination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and CDC\u2019s Global Immunization Division and Division of Viral Diseases recently completed a study that showed the new microneedle patch produces a strong immune response in an animal model. No adverse effects or health issues were noted during the study. These findings have cleared the way for developing proposals for human clinical trials, which could begin as early as 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think this collaboration with CDC is an excellent example of how advances in engineering can be used to address important public health problems,\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, a Regents Professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. Prausnitz served as one of the principal investigators on the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorld Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April each year, aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. This year\u2019s campaign focuses on closing the immunization gap and reaching equity in immunization levels as outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). The plan, endorsed by the 194 member states of the World Health Assembly in May 2012, is the framework to prevent millions of deaths by 2020 through universal access to vaccines for people in all communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GVAP aims to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003Estrengthen routine immunization to meet vaccination coverage targets;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eaccelerate control of vaccine-preventable diseases with polio eradication as the first milestone;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eeliminate measles and rubella;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eintroduce new and improved vaccines; and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Espur research and development for the next generation of vaccines and technologies.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMicroneedle technology could move the GVAP forward by leading to improved protection against other diseases, including polio, influenza, rotavirus, rubella, tuberculosis and others. CDC is also collaborating with Georgia Tech to see if microneedles could be used to administer inactivated polio vaccine. Additional research is studying microneedle-administration of the influenza, rotavirus and tuberculosis vaccines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo watch a video about microneedle technology please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/youtu.be\/wVEF1ckaYEY\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/youtu.be\/wVEF1ckaYEY\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading research university committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. Ranked as the #7 best U.S. public university, Georgia Tech provides a focused, technologically based education to more than 21,500 undergraduate and graduate students. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech has more than 100 centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to government, industry, and business. For more information, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6986\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the CDC\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003ECDC works 24\/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. Whether these threats are chronic or acute, manmade or natural, human error or deliberate attack, global or domestic, CDC is the U.S. health protection agency. CDC\u2019s Global Immunization Division (GID) is involved in one of the most effective of all global public health missions \u2013 vaccination against deadly diseases \u2013 which saves the lives of 2 to 3 million people every year. GID works closely with a wide variety of partners to protect global citizens against contagious and life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECDC News Media Branch, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@cdc.gov\u0022\u003Emedia@cdc.gov\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(404) 639-3286\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new microneedle patch being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could make it easier to vaccinate people against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The microneedle patch could make it easier to vaccinate people against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-04-27 14:52:58","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-04-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-04-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"399701":{"id":"399701","type":"image","title":"Microneedles comparison","body":null,"created":"1449246388","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:26:28","changed":"1475895117","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:57","alt":"Microneedles comparison","file":{"fid":"75771","name":"microneedles-measles-comparison.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-measles-comparison.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-measles-comparison.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1783759,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedles-measles-comparison.jpg?itok=OZKAsAje"}},"399711":{"id":"399711","type":"image","title":"Applying microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449246388","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:26:28","changed":"1475895117","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:57","alt":"Applying microneedle patch","file":{"fid":"75772","name":"microneedles-insertion.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-insertion.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-insertion.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":645664,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedles-insertion.jpg?itok=FzqLLDfa"}},"400171":{"id":"400171","type":"image","title":"Microneedles with vaccine","body":null,"created":"1449246388","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:26:28","changed":"1475895117","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:57","alt":"Microneedles with vaccine","file":{"fid":"75794","name":"mn_with_dye_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mn_with_dye_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mn_with_dye_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1302762,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mn_with_dye_0.jpg?itok=xgNfBc-v"}}},"media_ids":["399701","399711","400171"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"123","name":"CDC"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7376","name":"Measles"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"7360","name":"vaccination"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"357821":{"#nid":"357821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Prausnitz named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Prausnitz, a Regents\u2019 Professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He joins an elite group of just 414 NAI Fellows worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe designation honors those who \u201chave demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz was chosen for the honor based on his revolutionary work in drug delivery technologies, especially microneedles, which are tiny needles (about 400 to 700 microns long) that can be designed as skin patches that provide a simple, painless and inexpensive way to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2014\/02\/26\/self-administration-flu-vaccine-patch-may-be-feasible-study-suggests\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eadminister influenza, polio, measles and other vaccines\u003C\/a\u003E. Microneedles also can be prepared for \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/347131\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emicroinjection into the eye \u003C\/a\u003Efor highly targeted therapies designed to increase drug effectiveness and safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur laboratory not only strives to advance scientific understanding and provide research training to students but also seeks to make inventions that can benefit society,\u201d Prausnitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz will be honored at the NAI Fellows Luncheon and Induction Ceremony at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena on March 20. The event is part of the organization\u2019s annual conference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz also was \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/309131\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enamed to the list of the World\u2019s Most Influential Scientific Minds \u003C\/a\u003Ethis year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- Article courtsey of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at GT and Emory\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mark Prausnitz, a Regents\u2019 Professor in the School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He joins an elite group of just 414 NAI Fellows worldwide."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2014-12-17 12:28:58","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:41","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-12-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"357811":{"id":"357811","type":"image","title":"M. Prausnitz Microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449245767","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:07","changed":"1475895091","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:31","alt":"M. Prausnitz Microneedle patch","file":{"fid":"202068","name":"prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5386575,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop.png?itok=cRxO4qSw"}}},"media_ids":["357811"],"groups":[{"id":"1271","name":"NanoTECH"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"112761","name":"Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors"},{"id":"12701","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"349211":{"#nid":"349211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Needles Offer Potential New Treatment for Two Major Eye Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENeedles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for two of the world\u2019s leading eye diseases: glaucoma and corneal neovascularization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedles, ranging in length from 400 to 700 microns, could provide a new way to deliver drugs to specific areas within the eye relevant to these diseases. By targeting the drugs only to specific parts of the eye instead of the entire eye, researchers hope to increase effectiveness, limit side effects and reduce the amount of drug needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor glaucoma, which affects about 2.2 million people in the United States and is the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide, the goal is to develop time-release drugs that could replace daily administration of eye drops. A painless microneedle injection made once every three to six months \u2013 potentially during regular office visits \u2013 could improve treatment outcomes by providing consistent dosages and overcoming patient compliance issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the second disease, corneal neovascularization, corneal injury results in the growth of unwanted blood vessels that impair vision. To treat it, the researchers developed solid microneedles for delivering a dry drug compound that stops the vessel growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe power of microneedles for treating eye conditions is the ability to target delivery of the drug within the eye,\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, a Regents\u2019 professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe are developing different microneedle-based systems that can put the drug precisely into the part of the eye where it\u2019s needed. In many cases, we hope to couple that delivery with a controlled-release formulation that would allow one application to treat a condition for weeks or months.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/347131\u0022\u003ETo read more, follow this link.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedles, ranging in length from 400 to 700 microns, could provide a new way to deliver drugs to specific areas within the eye relevant to these diseases. By targeting the drugs only to specific parts of the eye instead of the entire eye, researchers hope to increase effectiveness, limit side effects and reduce the amount of drug needed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Needles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for two of the world\u2019s leading eye diseases: glaucoma and corneal neovascularization."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2014-11-26 09:22:54","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:37","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-11-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-11-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"349201":{"id":"349201","type":"image","title":"Eye Microneedle","body":null,"created":"1449245696","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:14:56","changed":"1475895073","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:13","alt":"Eye Microneedle","file":{"fid":"201950","name":"microneedle_for_eyes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle_for_eyes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle_for_eyes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2404049,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle_for_eyes.jpg?itok=wsWbmcU6"}}},"media_ids":["349201"],"groups":[{"id":"1271","name":"NanoTECH"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"38581","name":"eye disease"},{"id":"12701","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory by John Toon. Courtesy of Research News at Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"345691":{"#nid":"345691","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny needles offer potential new treatment for two major eye diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENeedles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for two of the world\u2019s leading eye diseases: glaucoma and corneal neovascularization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedles, ranging in length from 400 to 700 microns, could provide a new way to deliver drugs to specific areas within the eye relevant to these diseases. By targeting the drugs only to specific parts of the eye instead of the entire eye, researchers hope to increase effectiveness, limit side effects, and reduce the amount of drug needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor glaucoma, which affects about 2.2 million people in the United States and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, the goal is to develop time-release drugs that could replace daily administration of eye drops. A painless microneedle injection made once every three to six months \u2013 potentially during regular office visits \u2013 could improve treatment outcomes by providing consistent dosages, overcoming patient compliance issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the second disease, corneal neovascularization, corneal injury results in the growth of unwanted blood vessels that impair vision. To treat it, the researchers developed solid microneedles for delivering a dry drug compound that stops the vessel growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe power of microneedles for treating eye conditions is the ability to target delivery of the drug within the eye,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe are developing different microneedle-based systems that can put the drug precisely into the part of the eye where it\u2019s needed. In many cases, we hope to couple that delivery with a controlled-release formulation that would allow one application to treat a condition for weeks or months.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was reported November 13 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EInvestigative Ophthalmology \u0026amp; Visual Science\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was done using animal models, and could become the first treatment technique to use microneedles for delivering drugs to treat diseases in the front of the eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGlaucoma results from elevated pressure inside the eye that can be treated by reducing production of the aqueous humor fluid in the eye, increasing flow of the fluid from the eye, or both. Glaucoma is now controlled by the use of eye drops, which must be applied daily. Studies show that as few as 56 percent of glaucoma patients follow the therapy protocol.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedle therapy would inject drugs into space between two layers of the eye near the ciliary body, which produces the aqueous humor. The drug is retained near the injection side because it is formulated for increased viscosity. In studies with an animal model, the researchers were able to reduce intraocular pressure through the injections, showing that their drug got to the proper location in the eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the injection narrowly targets delivery of the drug, researchers were able to bring about a pressure reduction by using just one percent of the amount of drug required to produce a similar decline with eye drops. The research team, which also included Georgia Tech postdoctoral fellow Yoo Chun Kim and Emory University Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology Henry Edelhauser, hopes to produce a time-release version of the drug that could be injected to provide therapy lasting for months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe ultimate goal for us would be for glaucoma patients visiting the doctor to get an injection that would last for the next six months, until the next time the patient needed to see the doctor,\u201d said Prausnitz. \u201cIf we can do away with the need for patients to use eye drops, we could potentially have better control of intraocular pressure and better treatment of glaucoma.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo treat corneal neovascularization, the researchers took a different approach, coating solid microneedles with an antibody-based drug that prevents the growth of blood vessels. They inserted the coated needles near the point of an injury, keeping them in place for approximately one minute until the drug dissolved into the cornea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an animal model, placement of the drug halted the growth of unwanted blood vessels for about two weeks after a single application. In addition to the researchers already mentioned, the corneal neovascularization research included Emory University Professor of Ophthalmology Hans Grossniklaus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the research reported in the journal did not include time-release versions of the drugs, a parallel project is evaluating potential formulations that would provide that feature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEye injections with hypodermic needles much larger than the microneedles are routinely used to administer compounds into the center of eye. These injections are well tolerated, and Prausnitz expects the use of microneedles would also not cause significant side effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIncreasingly, eye drops are not able to deliver drugs where they need to go, so injections into the eye are becoming more common,\u201d said Edelhauser. \u201cBut hypodermic needles were not designed for the eye and are not optimal for targeting drugs within the eye.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn contrast to the larger hypodermic needles, the microneedles are tailored to penetrate the eye only as far as needed to deliver the drugs to internal spaces within the layers of the eye. For the glaucoma drug, for instance, the needle is only about half a millimeter long, which is long enough to penetrate through the sclera, the outer layer of the eye, to the supraciliary space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth potential treatments would require additional animal testing before human trials could begin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYoo C. Kim, Henry F. Edelhauser, and Mark R. Prausnitz hold microneedle patents, and Mark Prausnitz and Henry Edelhauser have significant financial interest in Clearside Biomedical, a company developing microneedle-based products for ocular delivery. This potential conflict of interest has been disclosed and is overseen by Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATIONS\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yoo C. Kim, Henry F. Edelhauser and Mark R. Prausnitz, \u201cTargeted Delivery of Antiglaucoma Drugs to the Supraciliary Space Using Microneedles,\u201d (Investigative Ophthalmology \u0026amp; Visual Science, 2014) and Yoo C. Kim, Hans E. Grossniklaus, Henry F. Edelhauser and Mark R. Prausnitz, \u201cIntrastromal Delivery of Bevacizumab Using Microneedles to Treat Corneal Neovascularization,\u201d (Investigative Ophthalmology \u0026amp; Visual Science, 2014).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch reported in this news release was supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01EY022097 and R24EY017045. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENeedles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for two of the world\u2019s leading eye diseases: glaucoma and corneal neovascularization.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Needles almost too small to be seen with the unaided eye could be the basis for new treatment options for glaucoma and corneal neovascularization."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-11-13 15:29:29","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:30","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"345651":{"id":"345651","type":"image","title":"Microneedle size comparison","body":null,"created":"1449245670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:14:30","changed":"1475895068","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:08","alt":"Microneedle size comparison","file":{"fid":"200909","name":"image_1_ocular_microneedles.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_1_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_1_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2404049,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image_1_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg?itok=Dn7AAWHY"}},"345661":{"id":"345661","type":"image","title":"Microneedle-drop size comparison","body":null,"created":"1449245670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:14:30","changed":"1475895068","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:08","alt":"Microneedle-drop size comparison","file":{"fid":"200910","name":"image_2_ocular_microneedles.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_2_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_2_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1438564,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image_2_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg?itok=UtelMIg4"}},"345671":{"id":"345671","type":"image","title":"Solid microneedle for treating neovascularization","body":null,"created":"1449245670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:14:30","changed":"1475895068","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:08","alt":"Solid microneedle for treating neovascularization","file":{"fid":"200911","name":"image_3_ocular_microneedles.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_3_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/image_3_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2800723,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/image_3_ocular_microneedles_0.jpg?itok=h6Xcu3Ik"}}},"media_ids":["345651","345661","345671"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109781","name":"corneal neovascularization"},{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"109771","name":"drug targeting"},{"id":"17401","name":"Glaucoma"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"279121":{"#nid":"279121","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-Administration of Flu Vaccine with a Patch May be Feasible, Study Suggests","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe annual ritual of visiting a doctor\u2019s office or health clinic to receive a flu shot may soon be outdated, thanks to the findings of a new study published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EVaccine\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which involved nearly 100 people recruited in the metropolitan Atlanta area, found that test subjects could successfully apply a prototype vaccine patch to themselves. That suggests the self-administration of vaccines with microneedle patches may one day be feasible, potentially reducing administration costs and relieving an annual burden on health care professionals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also suggested that the use of vaccine patches might increase the rate at which the population is vaccinated against influenza. After comparing simulated vaccine administration using a patch and by conventional injection, the percentage of test subjects who said they\u2019d be vaccinated grew from 46 percent to 65 percent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur dream is that each year there would be flu vaccine patches available in stores or sent by mail for people to self-administer,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regent\u2019s professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cPeople could take them home and apply them to the whole family. We want to get more people vaccinated, and we want to relieve health care professionals from the burden of giving these millions of vaccinations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research on patient acceptance of vaccine patch immunization was published online February 11, 2014, by the journal \u003Cem\u003EVaccine\u003C\/em\u003E and will appear in a later edition of the print journal. In addition to Georgia Tech researchers, the project also included scientists from Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Research into the use of microneedle patches for influenza vaccination has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study is believed to be the first published report of a head-to-head comparison between microneedle patches and traditional intramuscular injection for the administration of vaccines in human subjects. The patches consisted of arrays of 50 microscopic needles about as tall as the thickness of a few hairs. When used for vaccination, the patches would be pressed painlessly onto a person\u2019s forearm to carry vaccine into the outer layers of skin, where they would prompt an immune reaction from the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 91 study subjects, who had no previous experience with microneedle patches, were given brief instructions on applying the patches to themselves. Each volunteer applied three patches, had a fourth patch applied by a member of the research team, and received an injection of saline with a conventional hypodermic needle. Neither the patches nor the hypodermic needle actually carried a vaccine, and the study did not assess the efficacy of using microneedle patches for vaccinations in humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers evaluated how well the volunteers were able to self-administer the microneedle patches. After the subjects pressed the patches into their skin, the researchers applied a dye to highlight the tiny holes made by the microneedles. By photographing the administration sites and counting the number of holes, they were able to assess the accuracy of the application.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that everyone was capable of administering a microneedle patch appropriately, though not everyone did on the first try,\u201d Prausnitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome of the subjects used an applicator that made a clicking sound when sufficient force was applied to the patch. Use of that feedback device improved the ability of subjects to correctly apply patches and virtually eliminated administration mistakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the study, the volunteers were asked if they planned to receive a flu vaccination in the next year and if their intent to be vaccinated would change if it could be done with the patch. The percentage saying they\u2019d be vaccinated jumped from 46 to 65 percent when the patch was an option.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf this holds for the population as a whole, that would have a tremendous impact on preventing disease and the cost associated with both influenza and the vaccination process,\u201d said Paula Frew, an assistant professor in the Emory University School of Medicine and a co-author of the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterviewing the test subjects found strong support for self-administration of the flu vaccine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn addition to the preference for the vaccine patch, we found that a large majority of the people willing to be vaccinated would choose to self-administer the vaccine,\u201d said James Norman, the study\u2019s first author, who was a Georgia Tech graduate student when the research was conducted. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudy participants were asked to assess the pain associated with administering the patch and receiving the intramuscular injection. On a scale of one to 100, they rated the patches 1.5 on average, while the injection was rated 15.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELess than half the U.S. population receives vaccination against influenza each year. Several thousand Americans die of complications from the flu each year, and as many as 200,000 are hospitalized. Increasing the immunization rate could cut the deaths, hospitalizations and costs associated with the disease, Prausnitz noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUse of a vaccine patch could potentially also reduce the cost of vaccination programs. For influenza, the cost of storing and administering the vaccine \u2013 along with patient time to visit a clinic \u2013 accounts for as much as three-quarters of the total cost. If microneedle vaccine patches could be produced for about the same cost as current flu vaccines, self-administration could provide significant cost savings to the nation\u2019s health care system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnimal studies have shown that microneedle patches are at least as good as conventional intramuscular injections at conferring immunity to influenza. Prausnitz and his research team plan to begin a Phase 1 clinical study of the vaccine patches in humans during the spring of 2015. If that study shows promise, it could lead to larger studies and development of commercial patch manufacture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf all goes well, the vaccine patch could be available within five years. Prausnitz expects it to be administered first by health care professionals before being made available for self-administration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already named, the study also involved Martin I. Meltzer, senior health economist with the CDC, and two Georgia Tech researchers: Jaya M. Arya and Maxine A. McClain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Prausnitz is an inventor on patents that have been licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products, is a paid advisor to companies developing microneedle-based products, and is a founder\/shareholder of companies developing microneedle-based products. This potential conflict of interest has been disclosed and is managed by Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch on the use of microneedle patches for influenza vaccination has been supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH\/NIBIB), under award R01EB006369. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: James J. Norman, et al., \u201cMicroneedle Patches: Usability and Acceptability for Self-Vaccination Against Influenza,\u201d (Vaccine, 2014). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.vaccine.2014.01.076\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.vaccine.2014.01.076\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe annual ritual of visiting a doctor\u2019s office or health clinic to receive a flu shot may soon be outdated, thanks to the findings of a new study published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EVaccine\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Microneedle patches may allow self-administration of influenza vaccine, a new study shows."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-02-26 10:41:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:55","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"279091":{"id":"279091","type":"image","title":"Microneedle Patch Comparison","body":null,"created":"1449244168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 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Comparison2","file":{"fid":"198861","name":"microneedle-patch4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-patch4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-patch4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5025781,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-patch4_0.jpg?itok=N5obOX8k"}},"279111":{"id":"279111","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patch application","body":null,"created":"1449244168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:28","changed":"1475894971","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:31","alt":"Microneedle patch application","file":{"fid":"198862","name":"patch-application.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patch-application_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patch-application_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2544990,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/patch-application_0.png?itok=EDBVMObS"}}},"media_ids":["279091","279101","279111"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"296","name":"Flu"},{"id":"764","name":"immunization"},{"id":"765","name":"influenza"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"},{"id":"87561","name":"vaccine patch"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"200161":{"#nid":"200161","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Startup Launched from Georgia Tech-Emory University Research Receives $7.9 Million","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClearside Biomedical, Inc. an Atlanta-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical company launched from research at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, has received $7.9 million in funding to continue drug and technology development for treatment of ocular diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new funding is in addition to a $4 million venture capital investment received by Clearside Biomedical in early 2012 that served as the foundation for the startup company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESanten Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd in Osaka, Japan, will fund Clearside\u2019s technology development, and has also entered into a research collaboration agreement for posterior ocular diseases. Santen, along with new investor Mountain Group Capital and its affiliates, joins current investors Hatteras Venture Partners in Durham, NC, the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Fund, and the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan Flagler Business School Private Equity Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClearside Biomedical is developing microinjection technology that uses hollow microneedles to precisely deliver drugs to a targeted area at the back of the eye. If the technique proves successful in clinical trials and wins regulatory approval, it could provide an improved method for treating diseases including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, as well as other ocular conditions related to diabetes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology was developed in a collaboration between the research groups of Henry Edelhauser, PhD, professor of ophthalmology at Emory University School of Medicine, and Mark Prausnitz, PhD, a Regents\u2019 professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The National Institutes of Health sponsored research leading to development of the technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn contrast to standard treatments, this microneedle technology provides a more targeted approach for treating retinal diseases that confines the drug to the site of disease and reduces side effects from exposing other parts of the eye. Prior to the development of this technology, drugs could be delivered to the retinal tissues at the back of the eye in three ways: injection by hypodermic needle into the eye\u2019s vitreous humor (the gelatinous material that fills the eyeball); eye drops, which have limited ability to reach the back of the eye; and pills taken by mouth that expose the whole body to the drug.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory uses a hollow micron-scale needle to inject drugs into the suprachoroidal space located between the outer surface of the eye \u2013 known as the sclera \u2013 and the choroid, a deeper layer that provides nutrients to the rest of the eye. Preclinical research has shown that fluid can flow between the two layers, where it can spread out along the circumference of the eye, targeting structures like the choroid and retina that are now difficult to reach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy targeting the suprachoroidal space using microscopic needles, the researchers believe they can reduce trauma to the eye, make drugs more effective and reduce complications. The new delivery method could help advance a new series of drugs being developed to target the retina, choroid and other structures in the back of the eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI cannot imagine a better alliance as we continue to understand the role the suprachoroidal space will play in dosing medicine directly to the site of retinal disease in patients experiencing retinal blindness,\u201d says Daniel White, president and CEO of Clearside Biomedical. \u201cThe collaboration with Santen prepares an avenue to develop state-of-the-art medications for the critical treatment of sight-threatening diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn November 2012, Clearside announced its first successful human dosing with the device in a safety and tolerability study in patients with retinal disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed Clearside Biomedical to pursue testing related to its Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for CLS1001 (triamcinolone acetonide) Suprachoroidal Injectable Suspension. This IND would treat sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, uveitis and ocular inflammatory conditions unresponsive to topical corticosteroids. Clinical testing is scheduled to proceed within the next few months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESamirkumar Patel and Vladimir Zarnitsyn, researchers from the Prausnitz lab who were involved in development of the ocular drug delivery technique, have joined Clearside Biomedical. Edelhauser serves as vice president of scientific affairs and Prausnitz serves on the board of directors of Clearside Biomedical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company was formed with the assistance of Georgia Tech\u2019s VentureLab program, Georgia Tech\u2019s center for commercialization, serving faculty, staff and students who want to form startup companies based upon their research or invention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHenry Edelhauser, Samirkumar Patel, Mark Prausnitz, Vladimir Zarnitsyn, Emory University and Georgia Tech have financial interests in Clearside Biomedical and its ocular platform and own equity in Clearside. The terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by Emory University and Georgia Tech in accordance with their conflict of interest policies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Georgia Tech, John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Emory University, Holly Korschun (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorsch@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-727-3990).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Holly Korschun\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Clearside Biomedical Receives Venture Capital, Pharma Investment"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClearside Biomedical, Inc. an Atlanta-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical company launched from research at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, has received $7.9 million in funding to continue drug and technology development for treatment of ocular diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A startup has received $7.9 million for drug and technology development."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-03-18 13:01:17","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-03-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"200121":{"id":"200121","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for Eye Treatment","body":null,"created":"1449179934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:54","changed":"1475894853","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:33","alt":"Microneedle for Eye Treatment","file":{"fid":"196541","name":"microneedle-eye199_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye199_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye199_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1317731,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-eye199_0_0.jpg?itok=GhQPBbcP"}},"200131":{"id":"200131","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for Eye Treatment2","body":null,"created":"1449179934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:54","changed":"1475894853","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:33","alt":"Microneedle for Eye Treatment2","file":{"fid":"196542","name":"microneedle-eye51.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye51_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye51_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":792430,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-eye51_0.jpg?itok=df9Nu-d1"}}},"media_ids":["200121","200131"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"61811","name":"Clearside Biomedical"},{"id":"692","name":"drug"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"61791","name":"ophthalmic"},{"id":"7031","name":"pharmaceutical"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"3554","name":"Venture capital"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"143541":{"#nid":"143541","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery Announces the 2012-2013 Class of GAANN Fellows.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides funds each year for doctoral students conducting research in drug design, development and delivery. \u0026nbsp;These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. The GAANN program is open to eligible graduate students from all Georgia Tech schools and departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year\u2019s GAANN fellows were selected from an outstanding pool of applicants, who are carrying out high-impact research addressing a broad range of pharmaceutical needs\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, PhD, Regents\u0027 professor and Love Family professor in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering and director of CD4, who serves as the principle investigator of the program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new class of fellows represent a diverse group of students from biomedical engineering, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile most academic training programs address one particular aspect of pharmaceutical research, at Georgia Tech, we have an integrative approach that brings together scientists and engineers from many disciplines to improve the process of pharmaceutical development that includes drug design, manufacturing and delivery. Through the GAANN training grant, we are training future leaders of pharmaceutical research who understand the complex, interconnected process of bringing a drug from idea to product,\u201d Prausnitz added\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been awarded.\u0026nbsp; Solicitation for the 2013-2013 fellows will take place beginning in April 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 2012-2013 GAANN fellows:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERayaj Ahmed \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003ESamantha Au \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EW. Chris Edens \u2013 Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EHiroyuki Ichikawa \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003ERussell Jampol \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EYoo Chun Kim \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EJonathan Park \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EMichelle Razumov \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003EMark Spears \u2013 Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaeling Tapp \u2013 Material Science and Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EAubrey Tiernan \u2013 Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlex Weller \u2013 Material Science and Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EJenna Wilson \u2013 Biomedical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Since the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been funded."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides funds each year for doctoral students conducting research in drug design, development and delivery. \u0026nbsp;These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. The GAANN program is open to eligible graduate students from all Georgia Tech schools and departments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Since the program\u2019s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been awarded."}],"uid":"27224","created_gmt":"2012-08-01 14:24:32","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:36","author":"Megan McDevitt","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-08-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"133171":{"id":"133171","type":"image","title":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery (CD4)","file":{"fid":"194733","name":"pills-200pxls.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37265,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pills-200pxls_0.jpg?itok=QMOiCbll"}},"144621":{"id":"144621","type":"image","title":"Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449178739","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:59","changed":"1475894777","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:17","alt":"Mark Prausnitz","file":{"fid":"195043","name":"prausnitz_portrait.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1281822,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_portrait_0.jpeg?itok=rW5WoTMa"}}},"media_ids":["133171","144621"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cd4.gatech.edu\/","title":"CD4 website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"34621","name":"CD4 GAANN Fellows"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMegan Graziano McDevitt\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing Communications Director\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience (IBB)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mcdevitt@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"141731":{"#nid":"141731","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Show Potential of Microneedles to Target Drugs to the Back of the Eye","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThanks to tiny microneedles, eye doctors may soon have a better way to treat diseases such as macular degeneration that affect tissues in the back of the eye. That could be important as the population ages and develops more eye-related illnesses \u2013 and as pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs that otherwise could only be administered by injecting into the eye with a hypodermic needle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have demonstrated that microneedles less than a millimeter in length can deliver drug molecules and particles to the eye in an animal model. The injection targeted the suprachoroidal space of the eye, which provides a natural passageway for drug injected across the white part (sclera) of the eye to flow along the eye\u2019s inner surface and subsequently into the back of the eye. The minimally-invasive technique could represent a significant improvement over conventional methods that inject drugs into the center of the eye \u2013 or use eyedrops, which have limited effectiveness in treating many diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was reported in the July issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EInvestigative Ophthalmology \u0026amp; Visual Science\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Eye Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the organization Research to Prevent Blindness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis research could lead to a simple and safe procedure that offers doctors a better way to target drugs to specific locations in the eye,\u201d said Samirkumar Patel, the paper\u2019s first author and a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Tech when the research was conducted. \u201cThe design and simplicity of the microneedle device may make it more likely to be used in the clinic as a way to administer drug formulations into the suprachoroidal space that surrounds the eye.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPatel, who is now director of research for Clearside Biomedical \u2013 a startup company formed to commercialize the technology \u2013 said the study also showed that the suprachoroidal space could accommodate a variety of drugs and microparticles. That could open the door for the use of timed-release drugs that could reduce the need for frequent injections to treat chronic eye diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe suprachoroidal space is located between two important structures in the eye: the sclera and the choroid. Fluids injected into that space travel circumferentially around the eye, which flows drug solution directly over the choroid and adjacent retina \u2013 which are the targets for many drug compounds. The new study showed that injections of fluids containing molecules and particles into that space not only reach the targeted structures, but also remain there for extended time periods. And equally important, the molecules and particles do not significantly reach the lens or front part of the eye, where side effects from drugs can occur.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe study showed that if we inject non-degradable particles into the suprachoroidal space and wait as long as two months, the particles remain,\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, a Regents professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cThat means there is no natural mechanism to remove the particles from the eye. Knowing this, we can design biodegradable particles with drugs encapsulated in them that can slowly release those drugs over a period of time that we could control.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, doctors typically have two choices for administering drugs to the eye: eye drops and injection with a traditional hypodermic needle into the vitreous at the center of the eye. While injections into the vitreous do reach their target, they also affect other portions of the eye where the drug may not be desirable. Eye drops, which are simple to use, often fail to reach the structures being targeted, Prausnitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHenry Edelhauser, a professor of ophthalmology at Emory School of Medicine, said pharmaceutical companies are now developing new compounds to treat eye diseases. Those drugs will be most effective if they can be delivered directly to the portion of the eye that requires treatment, such as the choroid and retina that this new delivery method targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith this technique, we are keeping the drug right where it needs to be for most therapies of interest in the back of the eye,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedles used in the technique are made of stainless steel and are less than one millimeter long. The researchers believe that they will cause less trauma to the eye than the larger hypodermic needles, and reduce the risk of infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe model compounds used in this study fluoresced inside the eye, showing researchers that they had reached their targets. But the compounds studied were not drugs, so the next step, according to Edelhauser, will be to study how well the microneedle technique can get real drugs to the eye structures of interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology has been licensed to an Atlanta-based startup, Clearside Biomedical, which plans to advance the micro-injection technology developed in collaboration between the research groups of Mark Prausnitz at Georgia Tech and Henry Edelhauser at Emory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClearside Biomedical was formed with the assistance of Georgia Tech\u2019s VentureLab program, which helped obtain early-stage seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance. Clearside has received $4 million in funding mostly from Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Durham, N.C.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the study involved Damian Berezovsky and Bernard McCarey from the Emory Eye Center in the Emory University School of Medicine, and Vladimir Zarnitsyn from the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the intraocular microneedle demonstrates the strength of collaboration between researchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project leveraged the skills of both institutions and came up with a solution that we could never have developed independently,\u201d Prausnitz said. \u201cWith support from the National Institutes of Health, we have developed a solution that could give patients with eye diseases the medication they need in a more effective way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHenry Edelhauser, Samirkumar Patel, Mark Prausnitz, Vladimir Zarnitsyn, Emory University and Georgia Tech have financial interests in Clearside Biomedical and its ocular platform. Edelhauser, Patel, Prausnitz and Zarnitsyn own equity in Clearside and the terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by Emory University or Georgia Tech in accordance with their conflict of interest policies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 309\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThanks to tiny microneedles, eye doctors may soon have a better way to treat diseases such as macular degeneration that affect tissues in the back of the eye. That could be important as the population ages and develops more eye-related illnesses \u2013 and as pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs that otherwise could only be administered by injecting into the eye with a hypodermic needle.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Doctors may soon have a better way to treat diseases such as macular degeneration, thanks to tiny microneedles."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-07-22 20:32:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"141721":{"id":"141721","type":"image","title":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection3","body":null,"created":"1449178723","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:43","changed":"1475894774","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:14","alt":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection3","file":{"fid":"194955","name":"microneedle-eye212.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye212_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye212_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":786649,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-eye212_0.jpg?itok=5_CFJt0V"}},"141701":{"id":"141701","type":"image","title":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection","body":null,"created":"1449178723","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:43","changed":"1475894774","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:14","alt":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection","file":{"fid":"194953","name":"microneedle-eye18.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye18_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye18_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":722960,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-eye18_0.jpg?itok=Gvjz2Lbj"}},"141711":{"id":"141711","type":"image","title":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection2","body":null,"created":"1449178723","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:43","changed":"1475894774","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:14","alt":"Microneedles for Ocular Injection2","file":{"fid":"194954","name":"microneedle-eye199.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye199_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedle-eye199_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1317731,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedle-eye199_1.jpg?itok=13V72GCB"}}},"media_ids":["141721","141701","141711"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"38581","name":"eye disease"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"38591","name":"ocular"},{"id":"167750","name":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"135791":{"#nid":"135791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta Pharma Community Collaborates on Drug Development Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDoctoral students from four Atlanta universities worked together recently to learn how to develop new pharmaceutical products during a two-week interdisciplinary short course at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The course\u2019s final presentations were held June 11.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo dozen students from Georgia Tech, Mercer University, Georgia State University and Emory University heard lectures from Atlanta-based medical professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical company leaders \u2013 and worked in teams to develop plans for how a drug company might convert a promising molecule into a real product. To demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the drug development process, each team included pharmacists, bio-scientists, chemists and engineers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach team was given information from the scientific literature on a drug in early stage development by a pharmaceutical company, and was asked to put together and justify a detailed plan for bringing that molecule forward into a drug product useful in clinical medicine,\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, the course\u2019s leader and a Regents\u2019 professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpeakers from the Atlanta pharmaceutical community talked to the students on such topics as drug discovery and design, drug manufacturing, formulation, pre-clinical studies, design of clinical trials, marketing, project teamwork and R\u0026amp;D reports. In addition to Prausnitz, other instructors included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAjay Banga, professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences at Mercer University;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAndy Bommarius, professor of chemical \u0026amp; biomolecular engineering at Georgia Tech;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBobby Khan, chief medical officer at Atlanta Clinical Research Centers;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJoseph Patti, co-founder and senior vice president of R\u0026amp;D at Inhibitex;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHarold Shlevin, director of bioscience commercialization at Georgia Tech and former CEO of Solvay Pharmaceuticals;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJames Sikorski, a consultant and former vice president of medicinal chemistry at AtheroGenics;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJaipal Singh, adjunct professor of biology at Georgia Tech and former chief scientific officer at Saint Joseph\u2019s Translational Research Institute;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECharlie Thompson, a principal at Axtria;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWes Wynans, director of leadership education and development at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents were pleased with the opportunity to see the entire drug development process and to work closely with peers from other universities. \u201cWorking in an interdisciplinary team allowed us to connect the dots between all of the medical, scientific and business aspects of bringing a drug to the market,\u201d said Meera Gujjar, a graduate student in pharmaceutical sciences at Mercer University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris Quinto, a Ph.D. student from Georgia Tech, found students from other backgrounds helpful in sharing their expertise in the complex drug development process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Mercer students in my group were a great resource in helping explain and make sense of the data and terminology in the papers that we read,\u201d Quinto said. \u201cWhat I found most interesting in this class was how the drug development research teams consist of many different specialties, each of which is vital to the final outcome of the drug development process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe course is expected to be offered once every two years. \u201cThis shows how Atlanta universities are working together and with local pharmaceutical companies to build a stronger pharmaceutical research and education community here,\u201d Prausnitz added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDoctoral students from four Atlanta universities worked together recently to learn how to develop new pharmaceutical products during a two-week interdisciplinary short course at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Atlanta pharma community worked together to help doctoral students learn about drug development."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-06-16 13:17:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"135781":{"id":"135781","type":"image","title":"Drug Development Short Course","body":null,"created":"1449178685","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:05","changed":"1475894766","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:06","alt":"Drug Development Short Course","file":{"fid":"194801","name":"pharmaceutical_development_june_2012.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pharmaceutical_development_june_2012_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pharmaceutical_development_june_2012_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":997394,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pharmaceutical_development_june_2012_0.jpg?itok=78IQWAsC"}}},"media_ids":["135781"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1704","name":"chemical \u0026 biomolecular engineering"},{"id":"2777","name":"drug development"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7031","name":"pharmaceutical"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"76011":{"#nid":"76011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Startup Receives $4 Million to Develop Drug Delivery Targeted to the Back of the Eye","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETechnology developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta-based startup, Clearside Biomedical, plans to develop microinjection technology that will use hollow microneedles to precisely target therapeutics within the eye. If the technique proves successful in clinical trials and wins regulatory approval, it could provide an improved method for treating diseases that affect the back of the eye, including age-related macular degeneration. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology was developed in collaboration between the research groups of Mark Prausnitz, a Regents\u0027 professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Henry Edelhauser, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Emory School of Medicine. Research leading to development of the technology was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expect that targeting drug delivery within the eye will be helpful because we should be able to concentrate drugs at the disease sites where they need to act, and keep them away from other locations,\u0022 said Prausnitz. \u0022This could reduce side effects and possibly also decrease the dose required.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPrior to this development, drugs could be delivered to the retinal tissues at the back of the eye in three indirect ways: (1) injection by hypodermic needle into the eye\u0027s vitreous humor, the gelatinous material that fills the eyeball, (2) eye drops, which are limited in their ability to reach the back of the eye, and (3) pills taken by mouth that expose the whole body to the drug. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory uses a hollow micron-scale needle to inject therapeutics into the suprachoroidal space located between the outer surface of the eye -- known as the sclera -- and the choroid -- a deeper layer that provides nutrients to the rest of the eye. Preclinical research has demonstrated that fluid can flow between the two layers, where it can spread out to the entire eye, including structures such as the retina that are now difficult to reach.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy targeting this suprachoroidal space using microscopic needles, the researchers believe they can reduce trauma to the eye, make drugs more effective and reduce complications. The new delivery method could help advance a new series of drugs being developed to target the retina, choroid and other structures in the back of the eye.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a significant advance in the field of ophthalmology,\u0022 said Edelhauser. \u0022Until now, it has been difficult to target drug delivery to specific locations within the eye. This new microneedle technology enables precise drug targeting to the suprachoroidal space and other locations within the eye.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn research reported in the January 2011 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EPharmaceutical Research\u003C\/em\u003E, the Georgia Tech-Emory team demonstrated for the first time that this technique can be used to deliver nanoparticles and microparticles to specific parts of the eye. In later research, they also showed that microneedle injections into the suprachoroidal space rapidly resulted in concentrations of drugs and particles that could be maintained for several months.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBetween two and three million eye injections are made each year, many of them to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  The researchers believe that the microneedle-based technique could be useful for treating both AMD and glaucoma, as well as other ocular conditions related to diabetes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe $4 million in funding for Clearside Biomedical will come from Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Hatteras focuses on seed and early-stage investments in companies developing products in biopharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic and related human health areas.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Clearside Biomedical represents an ideal fit for Hatteras Discovery as the platform technology is highly innovative, based on elegant science and the lead product is expected to be in clinical trials in the United States in less than 18 months,\u0022 said Christy Shaffer, Ph.D., venture partner and managing director of the Hatteras Discovery Fund.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the technique has been tested only in animals. The Hatteras funding will allow the company to conduct additional efficacy and safety testing needed to seek regulatory approval. The company\u0027s first product is expected to address macular edema and retinal vein occlusion.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClearside was formed with the assistance of Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab program, which helped obtain early-stage seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance.  Georgia Tech VentureLab also helped the founders connect with the company\u0027s president and CEO, Daniel White, a veteran ophthalmic entrepreneur. Before joining Clearside, White was a co-founder of Alimera Sciences, an Atlanta company that is developing ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo researchers from the Prausnitz lab who have been involved in development of the ocular drug delivery technique will also join the company. They are Samirkumar Patel, a postdoctoral researcher and Vladimir Zarnitsyn, a research scientist.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch leading to the development of the technology has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\n\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\n\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHenry Edelhauser, Samirkumar Patel, Mark Prausnitz, Vladimir Zarnitsyn, Emory University and Georgia Tech have financial interests in Clearside Biomedical and its ocular platform. Edelhauser, Patel, Prausnitz and Zarnitsyn own equity in Clearside and the terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by Emory University or Georgia Tech in accordance with their conflict of interest policies.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Georgia Tech -- John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Emory University -- Holly Korschun (404-727-3990)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorsch@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETechnology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New technology may enable doctors to deliver drugs to the back of the eye."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-01-05 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:53","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"76021":{"id":"76021","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injections","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"},"76031":{"id":"76031","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injection","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"},"76041":{"id":"76041","type":"image","title":"Microneedle for eye injection","body":null,"created":"1449178055","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:35","changed":"1475894688","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:48"}},"media_ids":["76021","76031","76041"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"16531","name":"microinjection"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"16521","name":"ophthalmology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72457":{"#nid":"72457","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study to Explore Microneedle Patches for Polio Vaccination","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology will receive funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation that enables researchers worldwide to test unorthodox ideas that address persistent health and development challenges.  Mark Prausnitz, Regents\u0027 professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will pursue an innovative global health research project focused on using microneedle patches for the low-cost administration of polio vaccine through the skin in collaboration with researchers Steve Oberste and Mark Pallansch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGrand Challenges Explorations funds scientists and researchers worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges.  The Georgia Tech\/CDC project is one of 110 Grand Challenges Explorations grants announced November 7th.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We believe in the power of innovation -- that a single bold idea can pioneer solutions to our greatest health and development challenges,\u0022 said Chris Wilson, director of global health discovery for the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. \u0022Grand Challenges Explorations seeks to identify and fund these new ideas wherever they come from, allowing scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue the kinds of creative ideas and novel approaches that could help to accelerate the end of polio, cure HIV infection or improve sanitation.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProjects that are receiving funding show promise in tackling priority global health issues where solutions do not yet exist.  This includes finding effective methods to eliminate or control infectious diseases such as polio and HIV as well as discovering new sanitation technologies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the Georgia Tech\/CDC project is to demonstrate the scientific and economic feasibility for using microneedle patches in vaccination programs aimed at eradicating the polio virus. Current vaccination programs use an oral polio vaccine that contains a modified live virus.  This vaccine is inexpensive and can be administered in door-to-door immunization campaigns, but in rare cases the vaccine can cause polio. There is an alternative injected vaccine that uses killed virus, which carries no risk of polio transmission, but is considerably more expensive than the oral vaccine, requires refrigeration for storage and must be administered by trained personnel. To eradicate polio from the world, health officials will have to discontinue use of the oral vaccine with its live virus, replacing it with the more expensive and logistically-complicated injected vaccine.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPrausnitz and his CDC collaborators believe the use of microneedle patches could reduce the cost and simplify administration of the injected vaccine. Use of the patches, which carry vaccine into the body by dissolving into the skin, could eliminate the need for administration by highly-trained personnel and the \u0022sharps\u0022 disposal problems of traditional hypodermic needles.  Because skin administration produces an immune response with smaller doses of vaccine than traditional deep intramuscular injection, the researchers expect to reduce the per-person cost of vaccine. And by incorporating dried vaccine into the microneedles, they hope to eliminate the need for vaccine refrigeration -- a challenge in remote areas of the world. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We envision vaccination campaigns in which minimally-trained personnel go door-to-door administering microneedle patches rather than oral polio vaccine,\u0022 Prausnitz explained.  \u0022Our goal for this study will be to provide the data to scientifically justify moving the microneedle patch for polio vaccination into a human trial.\u0022    \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn research that will complement the Grand Challenges Exploration grant, Prausnitz and his team have also received funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) to support development of the polio vaccine application for microneedle patches.  And in a project sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Prausnitz and other Georgia Tech researchers are collaborating with Emory University scientists on development of a microneedle patch for administering flu vaccine.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Grand Challenges Explorations\u003C\/strong\u003E: Grand Challenges Explorations is a US $100 million initiative funded by the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.  Launched in 2008, Grand Challenge Explorations grants have already been awarded to nearly 500 researchers from over 40 countries.  The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline and from any organization.  The initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with short, two-page online applications and no preliminary data required.  Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have an opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of up to US $1 million. To learn more about Grand Challenges Explorations, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.grandchallenges.org\u0022 title=\u0022www.grandchallenges.org\u0022\u003Ewww.grandchallenges.org\u003C\/a\u003E. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout The Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E: The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world\u0027s premier research universities, ranked second among all U.S. colleges and universities in the amount of engineering research conducted. Ranked seventh among U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s top public universities, Georgia Tech\u0027s more than 20,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Georgia Tech is among the nation\u0027s top producers of women and minority engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have received a grant to study the use of microneedle patches for the low-cost administration of polio vaccine.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech innovation may help eradicate polio."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-11-07 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72458":{"id":"72458","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"},"72459":{"id":"72459","type":"image","title":"Mark Prausnitz and microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"},"72460":{"id":"72460","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"}},"media_ids":["72458","72459","72460"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"15001","name":"polio"},{"id":"7360","name":"vaccination"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68790":{"#nid":"68790","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Shows H1N1 Microneedle Vaccine Protects Better Than Injection","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA vaccine delivered to the skin using a microneedle patch gives better protection against the H1N1 influenza virus than a vaccine delivered through subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have found. Their research is published online in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Infectious Diseases\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMice given a single H1N1 vaccine through the skin using a coated metal microneedle patch as well as mice vaccinated through subcutaneous injection were 100 percent protected against a lethal flu virus challenge six weeks after vaccination. However, when challenged with the H1N1 virus six months later, the injected mice had a 60 percent decrease in antibody production against the virus and extensive lung inflammation. Mice that were vaccinated with microneedles, on the other hand, maintained high levels of protection and antibody production after six months, with no signs of lung inflammation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A major goal of influenza vaccine development has been to confer strong immune responses, including immunological memory and cellular immune responses for long-term protection, and to limit virus spread after infection,\u0022 said first author Dimitrios Koutsonanos, MD, post-doctoral fellow of microbiology and immunology at Emory University School of Medicine. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also included Ioanna Skountzou, MD, PhD, Richard Compans, PhD, Maria del Pilar Martin, PhD, and Joshy Jacob, PhD, from Emory, and Georgia Tech bioengineers Mark Prausnitz, PhD, and Vladimir Zarnitsyn, PhD.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers already have found that intramuscular injection is not the most efficient way to deliver vaccines. The muscles have a low concentration of cells needed to relay immune signals and activate a T-cell response, including dendritic cells, macrophages, and MHC class II-expressing cells. The skin, however, contains a rich network of antigen-presenting cells, including macrophages, Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells that activate cytokines and chemokines \u2013 immune signaling cells responsible for initiating an immune response. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Emory\/Georgia Tech research team previously reported that delivery of seasonal influenza vaccine through the skin using antigen-coated metal microneedle patches or dissolving microneedles elicited strong immune responses that can confer protection at least equal to conventional intramuscular injections. The team has developed dissolving microneedle technology that could be used in easy-to-administer, painless patches. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The pandemic H1N1 A\/California\/04\/09 influenza virus continues to be the predominant strain,\u0022 said lead researcher Ioanna Skountzou, MD, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Emory University School of Medicine. \u0022Our research shows that skin-based vaccination, made possible through microneedle technology, may now be a viable and more effective alternative to intramuscular injection for H1N1 flu and other strains as well.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Microneedle delivery also offers other logistical advantages that make this method attractive for influenza vaccination, such as inexpensive manufacturing, small size for easy storage and distribution, and simple administration that might enable self-vaccination to increase patient coverage,\u0022 said Prausnitz. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis news release was written by Emory University\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Holly Korschun, Emory University (404-727-3990)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorsch@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVaccine delivered to the skin using a microneedle patch gives better protection against the H1N1 influenza virus than a vaccine delivered through subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, researchers have found.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Vaccination with microneedles gives better H1N1 influenza protection."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-07-11 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68791":{"id":"68791","type":"image","title":"Steel microneedle array","body":null,"created":"1449177201","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:21","changed":"1475894599","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:19"}},"media_ids":["68791"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"764","name":"immunization"},{"id":"765","name":"influenza"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"7360","name":"vaccination"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"65920":{"#nid":"65920","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Awards $5 Million for Development of Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccines","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $5.4 million to a collaborative team of scientists at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Texas Biomedical Research Institute to develop vaccines for prevention of deadly hemorrhagic fevers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe project focuses on the development of an effective vaccine for Ebola and Marburg virus infections, two members of a family named \u0022filoviruses\u0022 because they produce long filamentous particles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lead investigators include Richard Compans and Chinglai Yang at Emory University, Mark Prausnitz at Georgia Tech, and Jean Patterson and Ricardo Carrion at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Compans, \u0022These viruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers with up to 90 percent mortality, and can be passed via person-to-person contact, thus posing a high risk in case of an epidemic outbreak as well as a possible bioterrorism threat.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn ongoing research, the Emory group has developed virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines to prevent virus infection, and has shown that the Ebola VLPs stimulate immune cell activity and induce strong antibody responses, indicating that such VLPs could be effective vaccines to induce protective immunity against infection. They also have found that immunization with a mixture of DNA and VLP vaccines (DNA\/VLP) induced higher levels of protective immune responses in comparison to immunization with either vaccine alone.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We consider this to be one of the most promising and safest approaches to protecting against hemorrhagic fever viruses,\u0022 said Patterson, chair of the Department of Virology and Immunology at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the researchers are testing these vaccines with a new skin delivery technology developed at Georgia Tech that could further increase such responses, with the aim of having a vaccine that can confer rapid and long-lasting protection against Ebola and Marburg virus infection. The results will identify the most effective candidate vaccine for human trials. The successful development of this vaccine strategy may also lead to vaccines against other viral hemorrhagic fevers, which still lack effective vaccines.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Administering these vaccines with a microneedle skin patch may increase the effectiveness of the vaccine, as well as potentially make vaccination simple and painless,\u0022 said Prausnitz, professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University produced this news release.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Holly Korschun, Emory University (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorsch@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorsch@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-727-3990) or John Toon, Georgia Tech (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $5.4 million to a collaborative team of scientists at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Texas Biomedical Research Institute to develop vaccines for prevention of deadly hemorrhagic fevers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new grant advances the fight against hemorrhagic fever infections."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-05-02 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"65921":{"id":"65921","type":"image","title":"Marburg virus virion","body":null,"created":"1449176884","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:08:04","changed":"1475894585","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:05","alt":"Marburg virus virion","file":{"fid":"192429","name":"ttj75176.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttj75176_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttj75176_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":81147,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttj75176_0.jpg?itok=kQiF9g4e"}}},"media_ids":["65921"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/prausnitz.php","title":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13022","name":"Ebola"},{"id":"13020","name":"hemorrhagic fever"},{"id":"13021","name":"Marburg"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"2076","name":"NIH"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"},{"id":"13023","name":"virus-like particle"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60104":{"#nid":"60104","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microneedles May Make Getting Flu Shots Easier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day your annual flu shot could come in the mail.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt least that\u0027s the hope of researchers developing a new method of vaccine delivery that people could even use at home: a patch with microneedles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMicroneedles?\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s right, tiny little needles so small you don\u0027t even feel them. Attached to a patch like a Band-Aid, the little needles barely penetrate the skin before they dissolve and release their vaccine.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers led by Mark Prausnitz of Georgia Institute of Technology reported their research on microneedles in Sunday\u0027s edition of Nature Medicine.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe business side of the patch feels like fine sandpaper, he said. In tests of microneedles without vaccine, people rated the discomfort at one-tenth to one-twentieth that of getting a standard injection, he said. Nearly everyone said it was painless.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVisit URL below to view full NPR article:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=128603588\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=128603588\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=128603588\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne day your annual flu shot could come in the mail.\n\nAt least that\u0027s the hope of researchers developing a new method of vaccine delivery that people could even use at home: a patch with microneedles.\n\nMicroneedles?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Microneedles May Make Getting Flu Shots Easier"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2010-07-19 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:11","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60107":{"id":"60107","type":"image","title":"Prof. Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449176253","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:33","changed":"1475894520","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:00"}},"media_ids":["60107"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFloyd Wood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=fwood3\u0022\u003EContact Floyd Wood\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["floyd.wood@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60106":{"#nid":"60106","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Patch heralds new era in battle against pandemics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA revolutionary way of vaccinating against infectious diseases has been invented by scientists who have developed a skin patch containing an influenza vaccine.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe patch does away with needles and syringes and could transform the battle against future pandemics by painlessly inoculating patients with vaccines that could be sent out in the post and self-administered in the home by somebody with no medical experience. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the developing world, the skin patches could eliminate the need for the costly medical infrastructure of mass-vaccination campaigns, which require trained medical personnel to inject vaccines, and expensive storage equipment. Skin patches also bypass the hazards of dirty needles. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe skin patch is \u0022armed\u0022 with an array of microscopic needles made of biodegradable plastic that painlessly scratch the surface of the skin and dissolve harmlessly without trace after delivering the vaccine safely inside the body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo view full article, visit URL below: \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/science\/patch-heralds-new-era-in-battle-against-pandemics-2029750.html\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/science\/patch-heralds-new-era-in-battle-against-pandemics-2029750.html\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/science\/patch-heralds-new-era-in-battl...\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A revolutionary way of vaccinating against infectious diseases has been invented by scientists who have developed a skin patch containing an influenza vaccine.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists unveil an innovative and cheap method of delivering v"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2010-07-19 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:11","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-07-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-07-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60107":{"id":"60107","type":"image","title":"Prof. Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449176253","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:33","changed":"1475894520","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:00"}},"media_ids":["60107"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EFloyd Wood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIBB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=fwood3\u0022\u003EContact Floyd Wood\u003C\/a\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["floyd.wood@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"57750":{"#nid":"57750","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mark Prausnitz presents the Medtronic Lecture at Oxford","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Prausnitz, PhD. presents the Medtronic Lecture in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, on June 2, 2010.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Mark Prausnitz, PhD. presents the Medtronic Lecture in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, on June 2","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mark Prausnitz presents the Medtronic Lecture at Oxford"}],"uid":"27349","created_gmt":"2010-06-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:39","author":"Floyd Wood","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/News\/PrausnitzAbstract.pdf","title":"Prausnitz\u0027s Abstract"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1612","name":"BME"},{"id":"1303","name":"chbe"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"9699","name":"University of Oxford"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJosie Giles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jg234\u0022\u003EContact Josie Giles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-2299\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["josie.giles@chbe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"56447":{"#nid":"56447","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Prausnitz Team\\\u0027s Microneedle Research Featured on CNN","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicroneedles May Be More Effective than Traditional Shots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nCNN\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s enough to make a kid scream.  A shot can be an unpleasant experience for anyone, no matter the age.  Funding by government flu grants, researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University in Atlanta developed a solution - needles so small, you can\u0027t feel them.  It\u0027s as long as one or a few hairs are thick, said Georgia Tech researcher, Mark Prausnitz.  They\u0027re called microneedles, so tiny they only go part of the way through the skin, just deep enough to work but not enough to hit nerves and actually hurt.  Research shows microneedles might be more effective than traditional shots, and perhaps the biggest advantage, they\u0027re so simple, people can vaccinate themselves. If all goes well, researchers say in five years, microneedles could make doctors\u0027 visits a little more pain-free.  Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Atlanta.  To view the segment, go to following link to open file: \u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/web11.mediavsn.com\/UserSavedClips\/6ab9cff0-ed16-4f17-8870-cb66dff64927.asx\u0027\u003ECNN Video\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo view Georgia Tech article:  \u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/release.html?id=2863\u0027\u003EFlu Vaccine Given In Microneedle Patches\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Prausnitz Team\u0027s Microneedle Research Featured on CNN","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Prausnitz Team\u0027s Microneedle Research Featured on CNN"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2009-06-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:11","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"496","name":"CNN"},{"id":"498","name":"Flu Vaccine"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"494","name":"Microneedle"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=cmitchell6\u0022\u003EContact Colly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-5982\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"56404":{"#nid":"56404","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microneedles Research from Prausnitz Lab Featured in TIME.com","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat if, instead of having to brave a hypodermic needle each time you needed a shot, you could simply slap on a patch and go about your day? According to some preliminary research from scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, that possibility may be just a few years off.  The group of scientists, led by Mark Prausnitz, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Georgia Tech, have developed a patch that has five rows of tiny \u0022microneedles\u0022 about as wide as human hairs that can be used to painlessly administer vaccines and other medications. To test the efficiency of the new device, Prausnitz and his colleagues gave the flu vaccine to a group of mice, half by way of traditional injection, and half using the new microneedle patch. Later, the mice were exposed to the live flu virus, after which the scientists tested their immune responses and levels of antibodies. They found that the vaccine, administered via the patch, yielded the exact same level of protection as a traditional shot.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/wellness.blogs.time.com\/2009\/08\/19\/a-patch-to-take-the-ouch-out-of-shots\/\u0027\u003EView full article\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/drugdelivery\/\u0027\u003EVisit Prausnitz lab\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"What if, instead of having to brave a hypodermic needle each time you needed a shot, you could simply slap on a patch and go about your day? According to some preliminary research from scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, that possibility may be just a few years off.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A patch to take the ouch out of shots"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2009-08-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:06","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"56405":{"id":"56405","type":"image","title":"by Gary Meek","body":null,"created":"1449175629","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:47:09","changed":"1475894499","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:39","alt":"by Gary Meek","file":{"fid":"190464","name":"tpw48481.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpw48481_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpw48481_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":38849,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpw48481_0.jpg?itok=w81VKUcP"}}},"media_ids":["56405"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"2780","name":"drug design"},{"id":"5910","name":"Drug Discovery"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"7537","name":"patch"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EColly Mitchell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=cmitchell6\u0022\u003EContact Colly Mitchell\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-5982\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["colly.mitchell@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"56264":{"#nid":"56264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ChBE Professor Mark Prausnitz Elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMark Prausnitz, Professor \u0026amp; the Emerson Lewis Faculty Fellow in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering, was elected as one of the newest members of the College of Fellows by The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). The newly elected Fellows were nominated and approved by current Fellows of the College, consisting of more than 900 engineers and scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecipients of this honor are recognized for their outstanding achievements in medical and biological engineering. A formal induction ceremony will be held during the Institute\u0027s Annual Event at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C. on February 11-13, 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EABOUT DR. MARK PRAUSNITZ\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDr. Prausnitz and his colleagues carry out research on biophysical methods of drug delivery using ultrasound, microneedles and other approaches. The success of drug and gene delivery is limited by the inability of drugs, proteins and DNA to cross biological barriers in the body. The most daunting barrier is that posed by lipid bilayers, which block transport into cells, into tissues, and into the body. The Prausnitz lab studies the effect of ultrasound and microneedles to selectively and reversibly disrupt those biological barriers and thereby deliver drugs into the body across the skin, into the eye, and into targeted cells through short-lived holes their membranes. Ultrasound studies focus on the mechanisms by which ultrasound disrupts membranes and drives intracellular delivery of molecules, as well as mechanisms of cell death. Microneedles studies address basic questions of drug transport, avoidance of pain, and insertion mechanics of microneedles in skin along with applied questions relating to drug and vaccine delivery and needle fabrication technologies. Additional studies address electroporation for drug and gene delivery, pore-forming peptides for transdermal delivery, theoretical and experimental studies of drug delivery to the eye, and enhanced transfection of plant cells for forestry biotechnology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to training graduate students in the laboratory, Dr. Prausnitz is actively involved with teaching undergraduate students in the classroom. His core courses are introductory classes on mass and energy balances and thermodynamics and the upper-division course on unit operations laboratory. An elective course developed by Dr. Prausnitz is entitled \u0022Effective Communication for Professional Engineering,\u0022 which addresses oral and written communication in the context of a case study of the nicotine patch.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother elective course, developed in collaboration with Dr. Bommarius, is entitled \u0022Drug Design, Development, and Delivery.\u0022 This course for senior undergraduates and graduate students exposes students to the interplay between multiple technical, as well as economic and societal factors that influence the creation of a successful pharmaceutical.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr. Prausnitz has co-authored more than 100 research articles, given 120 invited lectures to industry and academia, published 170 conference abstracts, holds close to 20 issued or pending patents, and has served as an expert witness. Among his honors are the NSF\/NIH Scholar-in-Residence at the National Institutes of Health, CAREER Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation, TR100 Young Innovator Award from Technology Review and Young Investigator Award and Outstanding Pharmaceutical Paper Award from the Controlled Release Society.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EABOUT AIMBE AND THE COLLEGE OF FELLOWS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe College of Fellows leads the way in technological advancement, advocating for\u003Cbr \/\u003E\npublic policies facilitating progress in medical and biological research and development\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nto benefit the public. Since 1991, AIMBE Fellows have helped to revolutionize medicine, engineering and related fields that enhance and extend the lives of people all over the\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nworld. Counting several Nobel Prize winners among them, through their work the Fellows also help protect the environment, lead to new national security safeguards, and contribute to a better, healthier society in many other ways.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith Fellows in every U.S. state\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Mark Prausnitz, Professor \u0026amp; the Emerson Lewis Faculty Fellow in Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering, was elected as one of the newest members of the College of Fellows by The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). The newly elected Fellows were nominated and approved by current Fellows of the College, consisting of more than 900 engineers and scientists.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ChBE Professor Mark Prausnitz Elected to the AIMBE College of Fe"}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2008-11-06 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:01","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2008-11-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"56265":{"id":"56265","type":"image","title":"Dr. Mark Prausnitz","body":null,"created":"1449175629","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:47:09","changed":"1475894499","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:39","alt":"Dr. Mark Prausnitz","file":{"fid":"190428","name":"tcr92033.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcr92033_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcr92033_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":111433,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tcr92033_0.jpg?itok=Dls0geIY"}}},"media_ids":["56265"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.che.gatech.edu\/drugdelivery\/","title":"Dr. Prausnitz\\\u0027s Research Group"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.aimbe.org\/index.php","title":"The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1007","name":"AIMBE"},{"id":"276","name":"Awards"},{"id":"2548","name":"biomedical"},{"id":"1303","name":"chbe"},{"id":"1704","name":"chemical \u0026 biomolecular engineering"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJosie Giles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:josie@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Josie Giles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-2299\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["josie@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"56322":{"#nid":"56322","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Patch Could Eliminate Needles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVaccines can help keep you healthy, but suffering through the protective shot can be downright painful. Now, researchers may have come up with a new way of soothing the sting.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKelly Marie Boyd doesn\u0027t do well when waiting to get a shot. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I will start feeling faint, feeling nauseated before they even walk into the room. If I see a needle, I will pass out,\u0022 she said. With a little girl on the way, she dreads having to put her baby through childhood vaccinations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA new invention may help make things less terrifying for Kelly and others like her. The new tool could eliminate a need for needles, by using what\u0027s called a transdermal patch.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022That way you can put the drug on the skin. It sits there for a period of time and the drug makes its way across the skin,\u0022 said Dr. Mark Prausnitz of Georgia Institute of Technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u0022microneedles\u0022 work just like a nicotine patch, but use - you guessed it - microscopic needles. \u0022So small that on the one hand, you don\u0027t feel them. Probably you don\u0027t even see them,\u0022 Prausnitz said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the other hand, they\u0027re large enough to do what\u0027s needed. \u0022The channels that they have are big enough to deliver most any drug or even vaccine that you would like to give,\u0022 Prausnitz said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only is it less painful, this may also be a more effective way of delivering drugs. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There is a class of immune cells that live in the very top layer of skin. So, if you can give the vaccine right there at the top layer of skin, you can get a better immune response,\u0022 Prausnitz said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith a better response, smaller doses of the drug may be given than what is traditionally needed. You may even be able to use them right at home. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022You just stick it on and you\u0027re done,\u0022 Dr. Prausnitz said. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers hope these microneedles will have a big impact in third-world countries, where there\u0027s a huge need for a better way to vaccinate large groups against deadly diseases such as hepatitis B and smallpox.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"ChBE professor Mark Prausnitz and his research team have developed a new, less painful method for administering vaccines.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Vaccines can help keep you healthy, but suffering t"}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2006-07-14 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:01","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2005-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2005-06-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"56323":{"id":"56323","type":"image","title":"Traditional Drug Delivery","body":null,"created":"1449175629","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:47:09","changed":"1475894499","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:39","alt":"Traditional Drug Delivery","file":{"fid":"190450","name":"tjs97045.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjs97045_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjs97045_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11482,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjs97045_0.jpg?itok=jj3rzrQw"}}},"media_ids":["56323"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/cbs2chicago.com\/health\/local_story_160160916.html","title":"CBS2 Chicago Web Site (Original Story)"}],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1303","name":"chbe"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJosie Giles\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jg234\u0022\u003EContact Josie Giles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-2299\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["josie.giles@chbe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"381311":{"#nid":"381311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Polio vaccination with microneedle patches receives funding for patch development, clinical trial","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Micron Biomedical have been awarded $2.5 million in grants from the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the development of dissolvable microneedle patches for polio immunization. The patches will be studied to evaluate their potential role as part of the worldwide efforts to eradicate polio.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe funds will support research and development of vaccine-filled microneedles that are designed to dissolve in the skin to provide protection against the poliovirus in humans. Studies with animal models have shown that microneedle patches containing polio vaccine effectively stimulate the immunological responses necessary for immunization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Phase I clinical trial funded by the award will evaluate whether the microneedle patches can be safely and effectively used to supplement current immunization efforts, bridging a gap between existing polio vaccines taken orally and those injected with conventional hypodermic needles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe patches, about an inch square, contain 100 vaccine-filled needles that are about the diameter of a human hair. In use, they are pressed onto the skin, where the needles quickly dissolve to leave only a harmless patch backing with no sharps waste for disposal. The patches can be applied by minimally-trained personnel, facilitating their use in vaccination programs even in remote areas and areas with weaker health systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that the microneedle patch has the potential to help complete the polio eradication effort with a simple-to-administer patch that can be used in immunization efforts in all countries,\u201d said Mark Prausnitz, a Regents Professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting oral polio vaccines are made with a live, attenuated virus. The inexpensive vaccine can be administered house-to-house in mass vaccination campaigns by minimally-trained personnel who place a drop of the vaccine into the mouths of those being vaccinated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the live virus contained in this vaccine can, in very rare cases, mutate to a virulent form. If that happens, individuals being vaccinated with oral polio vaccine can become infected with the virus, meaning the oral vaccine must be phased out after polio has been successfully eradicated. After polio has been eradicated, inactivated polio vaccine will be the only vaccine used worldwide to maintain immunity levels to the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting injectable polio vaccines are made with an inactivated form of the virus. Because it is injected, the vaccine must be administered by trained medical personnel. The vaccine itself is considerably more expensive than the oral vaccine. The cost, together with the need for administration in a medical setting, means the inactivated virus is much more difficult to use in mass vaccination campaigns in developing countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedle patch uses dissolving needles made from the vaccine based on inactivated virus, which cannot mutate. But unlike the injectable version, the microneedle version could be applied by minimally-trained personnel, thereby facilitating use in developing countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis new vaccine technology has the potential to significantly increase reach to children everywhere, including in the most marginalized areas of the world. Because it does not need to be injected means achieving high vaccination coverage would be significantly easier, and this is crucial, particularly in outbreak situations,\u201d commented Dr. Roland Sutter, coordinator of Research and Product Development, Polio Operations, for the World Health Organization (WHO).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers funded by these Gates Foundation awards will be developing methods to reduce the cost of manufacturing the microneedle patch vaccine. Studies have shown that injections into the skin using a hypodermic needle or a jet injector can prompt the desired immunological response with smaller amounts of vaccine than is required for a traditional intramuscular injection. Determining the minimum level of vaccine needed in microneedle patches will be one goal for the new research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaboratory studies of microneedle vaccine patches have already shown the vaccine to be stable during manufacturing, and additional research will be done to develop patch designs that are stable during long-term storage without refrigeration. Eliminating the need for cold storage could reduce logistical costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the first year of the two-year project, Georgia Tech researchers will develop the formulation to be used in the patches and prepare the technology for manufacturing by Micron Biomedical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe grant has a clear goal: At the end of the first year, we have to be able to show compelling data that we\u2019ve made a patch that can do what it needs to do,\u201d said Prausnitz. \u201cGeorgia Tech will then hand off the patch design to the company for clinical trials on the vaccine\u2019s safety and immunogenicity during the second year.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vaccine patch will likely be about the size of a postage stamp, including an area in the center where the microneedles are located. The tiny needles \u2013 too small to be seen with the unaided eye \u2013 will be surrounded by an area of adhesive designed to keep the patch on the skin of the person being vaccinated. In addition to the vaccine, the needles will include polymer and other materials that have been approved for use in pharmaceutical products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe materials in the microneedles are water soluble, so when the patch is pressed into the skin, the needles are designed to dissolve quickly,\u201d explained Prausnitz. \u201cThe intent is that after 15 minutes, you can remove the patch and the needles will have dissolved, leaving only a backing that can be discarded.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Phase I clinical trial for the polio vaccine patch may be followed by a second phase, or the project may go directly to larger-scale studies. Ultimately, the polio vaccine patch will need to be approved for use by national regulatory authorities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the vaccine patch began about five years ago, and has also involved funding from the WHO, the Global Immunization Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a Grand Challenges Exploration grant from the Gates Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a related study, a clinical trial is planned to begin later this year to assess the use of microneedle patches in vaccinating against influenza. The work, being done in collaboration with Emory University, is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers working on the polio vaccine effort believe their project will benefit from what is learned in the influenza project, and that both studies will demonstrate that the microneedle patch technology is ready for use in humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMicron Biomedical (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.micronbiomedical.com\u0022 title=\u0022www.micronbiomedical.com\u0022\u003Ewww.micronbiomedical.com\u003C\/a\u003E) is commercializing a novel vaccine and drug delivery technology, based on dissolving microneedle patches and aimed at achieving better health outcomes through enhanced therapeutic efforts, simplified logistics and improved patient compliance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Prausnitz is an inventor of patents that have been or may be licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products, is a paid advisor to companies developing microneedle-based products, and is a founder\/shareholder of companies developing microneedle-based products, including Micron Biomedical. The resulting potential conflict of interest has been disclosed and is managed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Micron Biomedical have been awarded $2.5 million in grants from the Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to advance the development of dissolvable microneedle patches for polio immunization. The patches will be studied to evaluate their potential role as part of the worldwide efforts to eradicate polio.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech and Micron Biomedical have been awarded $2.5 million to advance the development of dissolvable microneedle patches for polio immunization."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-02-23 20:27:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"381281":{"id":"381281","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449246231","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:23:51","changed":"1475894395","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:55","alt":"Microneedle patch","file":{"fid":"75278","name":"microneedles-polio172.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio172.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio172.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":951647,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedles-polio172.jpg?itok=h7tcaZmB"}},"381291":{"id":"381291","type":"image","title":"Microneedle patch2","body":null,"created":"1449246231","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:23:51","changed":"1475894395","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:55","alt":"Microneedle patch2","file":{"fid":"75279","name":"microneedles-polio180.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio180.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio180.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":842847,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedles-polio180.jpg?itok=1op4ciNr"}},"381301":{"id":"381301","type":"image","title":"Applying a microneedle patch","body":null,"created":"1449246231","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:23:51","changed":"1475894395","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:55","alt":"Applying a microneedle patch","file":{"fid":"75280","name":"microneedles-polio993.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio993.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microneedles-polio993.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":644908,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microneedles-polio993.jpg?itok=mbSDHKIl"}}},"media_ids":["381281","381291","381301"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"764","name":"immunization"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"7496","name":"microneedles"},{"id":"15001","name":"polio"},{"id":"763","name":"vaccine"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"384261":{"#nid":"384261","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Microneedle research gets $2.5 million in grants","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Bill \u0026amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $2.5 million in grants to advance work led by Mark Prausnitz, a Regents Professor in the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering, to develop dissolvable microneedle patches for polio immunization. The patches will be studied to evaluate their potential role as part of the worldwide efforts to eradicate polio.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe grants to Georgia Tech and Micron Biomedical will support research and development of vaccine-filled microneedles that are designed to dissolve in the skin to provide protection against the poliovirus in humans. Studies with animal models have shown that microneedle patches containing polio vaccine effectively stimulate the immunological responses necessary for immunization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Phase I clinical trial funded by the award will evaluate whether the microneedle patches can be safely and effectively used to supplement current immunization efforts, bridging a gap between existing polio vaccines taken orally and those injected with conventional hypodermic needles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe patches, about an inch square, contain 100 vaccine-filled needles that are about the diameter of a human hair. In use, they are pressed onto the skin, where the needles quickly dissolve to leave only a harmless patch backing with no sharps waste for disposal. The patches can be applied by minimally trained personnel, facilitating their use in vaccination programs even in remote areas and areas with weaker health systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that the microneedle patch has the potential to help complete the polio eradication effort with a simple-to-administer patch that can be used in immunization efforts in all countries,\u201d Prausnitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting oral polio vaccines are made with a live, attenuated virus. The inexpensive vaccine can be administered house-to-house in mass vaccination campaigns by minimally-trained personnel who place a drop of the vaccine into the mouths of those being vaccinated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the live virus contained in this vaccine can, in very rare cases, mutate to a virulent form. If that happens, individuals being vaccinated with oral polio vaccine can become infected with the virus, meaning the oral vaccine must be phased out after polio has been successfully eradicated. After polio has been eradicated, inactivated polio vaccine will be the only vaccine used worldwide to maintain immunity levels to the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting injectable polio vaccines are made with an inactivated form of the virus. Because it is injected, the vaccine must be administered by trained medical personnel. The vaccine itself is considerably more expensive than the oral vaccine. The cost, together with the need for administration in a medical setting, means the inactivated virus is much more difficult to use in mass vaccination campaigns in developing countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microneedle patch uses dissolving needles made from the vaccine based on inactivated virus, which cannot mutate. But unlike the injectable version, the microneedle version could be applied by minimally-trained personnel, thereby facilitating use in developing countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis new vaccine technology has the potential to significantly increase reach to children everywhere, including in the most marginalized areas of the world. Because it does not need to be injected means achieving high vaccination coverage would be significantly easier, and this is crucial, particularly in outbreak situations,\u201d commented Dr. Roland Sutter, coordinator of Research and Product Development, Polio Operations, for the World Health Organization (WHO).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers funded by these Gates Foundation awards will be developing methods to reduce the cost of manufacturing the microneedle patch vaccine. Studies have shown that injections into the skin using a hypodermic needle or a jet injector can prompt the desired immunological response with smaller amounts of vaccine than is required for a traditional intramuscular injection. Determining the minimum level of vaccine needed in microneedle patches will be one goal for the new research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaboratory studies of microneedle vaccine patches have already shown the vaccine to be stable during manufacturing, and additional research will be done to develop patch designs that are stable during long-term storage without refrigeration. Eliminating the need for cold storage could reduce logistical costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the first year of the two-year project, Georgia Tech researchers will develop the formulation to be used in the patches and prepare the technology for manufacturing by Micron Biomedical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe grant has a clear goal: At the end of the first year, we have to be able to show compelling data that we\u2019ve made a patch that can do what it needs to do,\u201d said Prausnitz. \u201cGeorgia Tech will then hand off the patch design to the company for clinical trials on the vaccine\u2019s safety and immunogenicity during the second year.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vaccine patch will likely be about the size of a postage stamp, including an area in the center where the microneedles are located. The tiny needles \u2013 too small to be seen with the unaided eye \u2013 will be surrounded by an area of adhesive designed to keep the patch on the skin of the person being vaccinated. In addition to the vaccine, the needles will include polymer and other materials that have been approved for use in pharmaceutical products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe materials in the microneedles are water soluble, so when the patch is pressed into the skin, the needles are designed to dissolve quickly,\u201d explained Prausnitz. \u201cThe intent is that after 15 minutes, you can remove the patch and the needles will have dissolved, leaving only a backing that can be discarded.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Phase I clinical trial for the polio vaccine patch may be followed by a second phase, or the project may go directly to larger-scale studies. Ultimately, the polio vaccine patch will need to be approved for use by national regulatory authorities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the vaccine patch began about five years ago, and has also involved funding from the WHO, the Global Immunization Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a Grand Challenges Exploration grant from the Gates Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a related study, a clinical trial is planned to begin later this year to assess the use of microneedle patches in vaccinating against influenza. The work, being done in collaboration with Emory University, is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers working on the polio vaccine effort believe their project will benefit from what is learned in the influenza project, and that both studies will demonstrate that the microneedle patch technology is ready for use in humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.micronbiomedical.com\/\u0022\u003EMicron Biomedical\u003C\/a\u003E is commercializing a novel vaccine and drug delivery technology, based on dissolving microneedle patches and aimed at achieving better health outcomes through enhanced therapeutic efforts, simplified logistics and improved patient compliance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Prausnitz is an inventor of patents that have been or may be licensed to companies developing microneedle-based products, is a paid advisor to companies developing microneedle-based products, and is a founder\/shareholder of companies developing microneedle-based products, including Micron Biomedical. The resulting potential conflict of interest has been disclosed and is managed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory by John Toon. Courtesy of Research News at Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Bill \u0026 Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $2.5 million in grants to advance work led by Mark Prausnitz, of the School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering, to develop dissolvable microneedle patches for polio immunization."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2015-03-04 12:33:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:51","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"384251":{"id":"384251","type":"image","title":"Prauznits Polio Funding","body":null,"created":"1449246246","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:24:06","changed":"1475894395","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:55","alt":"Prauznits Polio Funding","file":{"fid":"75361","name":"prausnitz_r117_hires_crop_0.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5386575,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/prausnitz_r117_hires_crop_0.png?itok=7XrXwAXM"}}},"media_ids":["384251"],"groups":[{"id":"1271","name":"NanoTECH"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"120331","name":"Bill \u0026 Melinda Gates Foundation Award"},{"id":"12701","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"495","name":"Mark Prausnitz"},{"id":"13653","name":"microneedle patch"},{"id":"120321","name":"polio vaccine"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"73075":{"#nid":"73075","#data":{"type":"external_news","title":"Microneedle Patches Project gets Grand Challenges Exploration Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis new initiative comes from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is aimed at the eradication of polio.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2011-11-28 12:24:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 02:25:13","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","publication":"electric membership cooperatives","field_article_url":"","publication_url":"http:\/\/www.frogheart.ca\/?tag=mark-prausnitz","dateline":{"date":"2011-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. 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