Improving how medicines reach diseased parts of the body
Official title: Prodrug engineering for enhanced biodistribution and pharmacokinetics
Funded at University of Miami Coral Gables · NIH-11179482 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create new ways to deliver medicines more effectively to specific areas of the body, like tumors or affected heart tissue, to improve treatment and reduce side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami Coral Gables NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $372,582 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155068-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179482 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational work could eventually benefit patients with a wide range of diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions, who need more targeted and safer drug therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not require small molecule drug therapies or those whose conditions are not targeted by these specific drug delivery mechanisms may not directly benefit from this particular approach.
What this research studies
Many current medicines, especially small molecule drugs, face challenges like poor solubility, severe side effects, or difficulty reaching the exact diseased areas. This project is developing two innovative strategies to overcome these issues. One approach involves designing 'prodrugs' that can attach to a natural protein in the blood, albumin, which then acts as a carrier to deliver the medicine directly to the target site. The second strategy focuses on creating 'polymer prodrugs' that are designed to release their therapeutic cargo only when they arrive at the specific disease location. These new delivery methods are intended to make treatments for conditions like cancer and heart disease more powerful and safer for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new drug treatments that are more effective and have fewer side effects for patients with various diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
How similar studies have gone: While existing drug delivery systems have shown some success, this project proposes novel strategies for prodrug design to further enhance targeting and reduce adverse effects.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami Coral Gables
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Fuwu — University of Miami Coral Gables
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Fuwu
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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.