How tissue stiffness and stretching affect nanoparticle delivery in cancer and other diseases
Official title: Mechanoregulators of Nanoparticle-Cell Interactions at Tissue Interfaces
Funded at University of North Texas · NIH-11377454 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how the physical properties of tissues, like stiffness and stretch, influence how nanoparticles are taken up by cancer-related cells to improve future therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Texas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denton, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,614 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM150577-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377454 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers or diseases characterized by altered tissue mechanics (e.g., stiff tumors or fibrotic tissues) where nanoparticle therapies might be used in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving nanoparticle-based treatments or without diseases involving tissue mechanics may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Cells and tissues change how they behave when tissues become stiffer or stretched, which can affect how nanoparticle medicines enter and move inside them. The project uses realistic 2D and 3D tissue models that mimic stretching to study how mechanical forces change uptake pathways in lung and blood vessel cells. By linking mechanical cues to nanoparticle behavior, researchers aim to design smarter particles that enter target cells more efficiently. The work focuses on cancer-relevant tissues but may also inform treatments for other diseases where tissue mechanics matter. Findings could guide safer and more effective nanoparticle-based therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to better-designed nanoparticle therapies that enter cancer and related diseased cells more efficiently by accounting for tissue mechanics.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows tissue mechanics can influence cellular processes and drug delivery, but this project tests dynamic stretch in more realistic models to guide nanoparticle design.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Texas
Denton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meckes, Brian R — University of North Texas
- Study coordinator: Meckes, Brian R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.