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conferenceseries.com
October 20-22, 2016 Rome, Italy
11th International Conference and Expo on
Nanoscience and Molecular Nanotechnology
Volume 7, Issue 5 (Suppl) J Nanomed Nanotechnol 2016
ISSN: 2157-7439 JNMNT an open access journal NanoScience 2016
October 20-22, 2016
Targeted nanodelivery to treat chronic kidney disease: Nanomaterial design, response of podocytes and
the role of glomerular filtration barrier
Francesco Cellesi
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
C hronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide health threat characterized by a gradual loss in renal function, which often
progresses to maintenance dialysis treatment and renal transplantation. The majorities of kidney diseases that lead to CKD starts
in the glomerulus, where podocytes, highly specialized polarized cells, are damaged and fail to guarantee selective permeability of
the glomerular filtration barrier. CKD drugs are known to have a direct action on podocytes, however they are charged by severe
side effects, particularly when a systemic prolonged administration is required. The goal of this work was to develop novel targeted
therapies directed to treat glomerular diseases of the kidney. New polymeric nanocarriers as well as liposomal nanoformulations
were designed and synthesized to facilitate drug permeation through the glomerular filtration barrier, in order to target podocytes,
aiming at reducing dose regime and systemic side effects to CKD patients. New engineered polymeric nanocarriers were synthesized
by emulsion polymerization and controlled-living polymerization techniques and produced with a fine tuning of key properties
such as size, degradability, surface chemistry, drug loading and release. Alternatively, functional liposomal formulations were also
investigated as targeted nanodelivery systems. The effects of these nanomaterials on two-dimensional and three-dimensional cultures
of glomerular cells were evaluated in vitro, in order to predict the effect of nanodelivery on glomerular filtration repair. Nanomaterial
biodistribution, accumulation and permeability in the kidney glomerulus were assessed in animal models under physiological and
pathological conditions.
Biography
Francesco Cellesi is Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, and Group Leader at Fondazione CEN-European Centre for Nanomedicine, Milan, Italy. He
obtained a PhD at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich (CH), in 2003, and in 2006 he became Lecturer of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials at the School
of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, UK. His research interests focus on nanomedicine, including polymeric nanomaterials, drug delivery, cell microencapsulation
and tissue engineering, and materials science and process engineering.
Francesco Cellesi, J Nanomed Nanotechnol 2016, 7:5 (Suppl)