Browsing by Author "Hamers, Matthew"

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    Localizing Chemotherapeutic Drug Release Through the Use of Polymer-Based Surgical Sealants to Treat Stage III Colorectal Cancer
    (2021) Atalla, Anthony; Coley, Morgan; Hamers, Matthew; Karodeh, Nima; McGrath, Jennifer; Minahan, Eva; Nagler, Matthew; Nassar, Yomna; Nichols, Alison; Sebastian, Ria; Tiberino, Matthew; Wendeu-Foyet, Kevin; Kofinas, Peter
    Current cancer treatments, such as systemic chemotherapy, induce several complications that affect the entire body; localizing chemotherapy to the tumor site has the potential to minimize harmful side effects. Solution blow spinning (SBS) offers the possibility of incorporating chemotherapy drugs into a polymer solution through the use of a compressed airbrush. This would allow for direct deposit of a polymer mat after surgically removing the tumor. Sutures, in combination with polymer sealants, could be used to prevent complications after surgery. This study focuses on stage IIIA colorectal cancer because cancer cells have not spread distantly yet, and treatment typically involves surgery followed by chemotherapy. Three key aims were addressed in this study to assess polymer-drug combinations’ compatibility with SBS, observe drug release patterns, and evaluate the effect of drug incorporation on polymer adhesion to intestinal tissue. Our results suggested that the polymer-drug combination of poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) and capecitabine shows promise as an adhesive surgical sealant with a drug release pattern that is complementary to a typical resection healing timeline.
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    Localizing Chemotherapeutic Drug Release to Treat Stage III Colorectal Cancer
    (2020) Sebastian, Ria; Atalla, Anthony; Coley, Morgan; Hamers, Matthew; Tiberino, Matthew; Nagler, Matthew; Nassar, Yomna; Nichols, Alison; Minahan, Eva; Karodeh, Nima; McGrath, Jennifer; Wendeu-Foyet, Kevin; Kofinas, Peter; Ayyub, Omar
    These studies focused on the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs into biodegradable polymers, specifically poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL), as a localized form of cancer treatment. In conjunction with the surgical resection of a tumor, this polymer can be used to deposit drugs directly at the site and minimize the risks posed by systemic chemotherapy. The methodology focused on Stage IIIA colorectal cancer due to its high recurrence rate and the common use of surgery as a form of treatment. In our experiments, data was collected to compare the various physical, chemical, and mechanical properties between PLCL fiber mats loaded with Capecitabine in order to evaluate the most ideal drug release pattern. Results found that the combinations we had tested thus far had shown a delayed release, meaning at least a week passed before initial drug dissociation from the polymer. Current results suggest a possible relationship between molecular weight and the delay period length, which has implications in future research. Different polymers will also be studied to assess the chemical impact on the release patterns we found in our data.