Molecular Pharmaceutics

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The Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics (MOPH) is engaged in education and research in targeted drug delivery that will ensure optimal therapeutic efficacy of pharmacologically and immunologically active agents. It is a multidisciplinary endeavor requiring knowledge in basic pharmaceutics, chemistry, biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and pharmaceutical analysis. Understanding of the pathophysiology may be required for assessing pharmacodynamic outcome. Drugs in this context may include small MW conventional drug molecules, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and human genes.
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Molecular Pharmaceutics

The Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics (MOPH) is engaged in education and research in targeted drug delivery that will ensure optimal therapeutic efficacy of pharmacologically and immunologically active agents. It is a multidisciplinary endeavor requiring knowledge in basic pharmaceutics, chemistry, biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and pharmaceutical analysis. Understanding of the pathophysiology may be required for assessing pharmacodynamic outcome. Drugs in this context may include small MW conventional drug molecules, peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and human genes.

Successful pharmacological or immunological outcome of a drug product or a vaccine requires the desired concentration of the active component primarily at the target site for the desired period of time. The development of a delivery system that meets these requirements is based largely on the understanding of the transport barriers and metabolism involved, as well as working hypotheses derived from pathophysiologies. Prior to human studies, the drug delivery system thus developed is tested in cell-based functional assay and human disease models in animals.  As such, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments are the measure of performance of a given delivery system. The pharmacokinetics, be it at a subcellular/molecular level or an organ/tissue level, requires a sensitive and specific analytical method. The pharmacodynamic assessment requires relevant animal models. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of research, most projects are in collaboration with colleagues of relevant expertise.

The Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics is currently breaking new ground in the delivery of

  • biotechnology-derived macromolecules, such as proteins
  • small nucleic acids, such as antisense oligonucleotides and siRNA (small interfering RNA)
  • vaccines
  • genes
  • classical, small molecular weight therapeutic agents

There are many routes of administration, including oral, pulmonary, parenteral, percutaneous, and transmucosal. The design and fabrication of nanoparticulate drug carriers have received critical attention recently as they provide a new challenge as well as opportunities. Because of strong educational and training components in basic pharmaceutics, the division is ideally situated in bridging basic sciences to biomedical research. The Molecular Pharmaceutics program thus produces PhDs who will eventually engineer drug delivery systems for new therapeutics and vaccines intended for human use. The majority of these PhDs often find jobs in industry before graduation. Those who pursue an academic career usually spend a few more years as postdoctoral fellows at other institutions. During this period, they become independent investigators and refine their grantsmanship for future funding in academia. Whichever path they choose, our graduates have enjoyed outstanding employment throughout the history of the MOPH program.

For more information about the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, please click on the links below: