Thursday, 5 December 2024 11:00am – 12:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in New Law Lecture Theatre 104

Speaker: A/Prof Tomoki Nishimura

Host: A/Prof. Markus Muellner

Title: Designing Polymer Assemblies: Therapeutic Nanoreactors | Manipulation of Macrophage Uptake

Abstract: Polymers can provide a highly tunable platform for creating nanoparticles, enabling the incorporation of stimulus-responsive features, adjustment of particle shape, and precise targeting of specific cells or tissues as drug delivery carriers. In this presentation, we will explore two key applications of functional polymer assemblies in drug delivery systems (DDS). First, we will discuss the design of “therapeutic nanoreactors” that generate therapeutic agents at disease sites. Using temperature-responsive polymers, we have developed polymer vesicles with selective molecular permeability, allowing them to retain enzymes while delivering substrates. These nanoreactors can convert prodrugs into active anticancer agents via enzymatic reactions, offering targeted treatments with fewer side effects. Second, we will address the design of “nanoparticles that evade macrophage uptake.” Effective drug delivery requires minimizing macrophage uptake, as it reduces nanoparticle accumulation at disease sites. Our study on graft polymer self-assembly demonstrates that cylindrical nanoparticles with an aspect ratio of around 2 are least likely to be taken up by macrophages, marking a shift from traditional spherical designs to more efficient cylindrical structures for DDS.

Bio: Tomoki Nishimura is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science at Shinshu University in Japan. His research focuses on understanding and controlling self-assembled polymer nanostructures and creating polymer assemblies with unque functions. His current work focuses on the self-assembly of thermoresponsive amphiphilic block/graft copolymers and self-assembled polymer materials for biomedical applications, such as therapeutic nanoreactors, artificial ion channels, and in vivo macromolecular anchors for cell surface engineering. Nishimura has been recognized as a Journal of Materials Chemistry B Emerging Investigator and has received the Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers fellowship and the JST FOREST fellowship, highlighting his significant contributions to materials science and advanced drug delivery technologies.