Dr. Kytai Trong Nguyen has overcome amazing challenges at various levels to become an internationally respected leader in research involving novel biomaterials for therapeutic applications and also a wonderful role model for women in academia. Dr. Nguyen’s contributions have included development of new materials for vascular grafts and vascular tissue engineering, and the generation of novel micro and nano-particles for delivery of therapeutics with specific applications in lung diseases, cancer, and wound healing. This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) presents a selection of Dr. Nguyen’s papers in each of these areas that give some snapshots of her important contributions in this exciting and rapidly growing field of great potential for human health.
This VSI begins with several papers on important design variables that can be used in generation of nanoparticles with a range of different properties, such as delivery capabilities and specificity of targeting. We then move on to specific applications in prostate cancer and melanomas.
The third section gives some exciting new examples for lung delivery of therapeutics, moving on to vascular applications and tissue engineering, finishing with an example of growth factor delivery for wound healing. The wide range of applications demonstrates the collaborative ability of Dr. Nguyen, as materials science and engineering combines with clinical research to meet multiple different needs.
Preface
Professor Larry McIntire, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
Basic Therapeutic Delivery Materials
Biodegradable nanoparticles mimicking platelet binding as a targeted and controlled drug delivery system
Kona S, Dong J, Liu Y, Tan J, Nguyen KT.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2012; 423: 516-524.
Development of multiple-layer polymeric particles for targeted and controlled drug delivery
Koppolu B, Rahimi R, Nattama S, Wadajkar AS, Nguyen, KT.
Nanomedicine 2010; 6: 355-361.
In vitro evaluation of novel polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery
Rahimi M, Wadajkar AS, Subraamanian K, Yousef M, Cui W, Hsieh JT and Nguyen KT.
Nanomediicine 2010; 6: 672-680.
Factorial analyses of photopolymerizable thermoresponsive composite hydrogels for protein delivery
Sabnis A, Wadajkar AS, Aswath P, Nguyen KT.
Nanomedicine 2009; 5: 305-315.
Cancer Delivery
Prostate cancer-specific thermo-responsive polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles
Wadajkar AS, Menon JU, Tsai YT, Gore C, Dobin T, Gandee L, Kangasniemi K, Takahashi M, Manabdhar B, Ahn J, Hsieh J, Nguyen KT.
Biomaterials 2013; 34: 3618-3635.
Multifunctional nanomaterials for melanoma-targeted drug delivery
Wadajkar AS, Bhavsar Z, Ko CY, Koppolu B, Cui W, Tang L, Nguyen KT.
Acta Biomaterialia 2012; 8: 2996-3004.
Lung Delivery
Nanoparticle facilitated inhalational delivery of Erythropoietin receptor cDNA protects against hyperoxic lung injury
Ravikumar P, Menon JU, Punnakitikashem P, Gyawali D, Togao O, Takahashi M, Zhang J, Yee J, Moe OW, Nguyen KT, Hsia CC.
Nanomedicine 2016; 12: 811-821.
Polymeric nanoparticles for pulmonary protein and DNA delivery
Menon JU, Ravikumar P, Pise A, Gyawali D, Hsia CC, Nguyen KT.
Acta Biomaterialia 2014; 10: 2643-2652.
Vascular Tissue Engineering
Magnetic-based multi-layer microparticles for endothelial progenitor cell isolation, enrichment, and detachment
Wadajkar AS, Santimano SL, Tang L, Nguyen KT.
Biomaterials 2014; 35: 654-663.
Electrospun biodegradable elastic polyurethane fibers with dipyridamole release as small diameter vascular grafts
Punnakitikashem P, Trong D, Menon JU, Nguyen KT, Hong Y.
Acta Biomaterialia 2014; 10: 4618-4628.
Development of biodegradable crosslinked urethane-based polyester elastomers.
Dey J, Xu H, Shen J, Thevenot P, Gondi SR, Nguyen KT, Sumerlin BS, Tang L, Yang J
Biomaterials 2008; 29: 4637-4649.
Molecular responses of vascular smooth muscle cells and phagocytes to curcumin-eluting bioresorbable stent materials
Nguyen KT, Shaikh N, Shukla KP, Su SH, Eberhart RC, Tang L.
Biomaterials 2004; 25: 5333-5346.
Photopolymerizable hydrogels for tissue engineering applications
Nguyen KT, West JL. Biomaterials 2002; 23: 4307-4314.
Wound Healing
Dual growth factor releasing multi-functional nanofibers for wound healing
Xie Z, Paras CB, Weng H, Punnakitikashem P, Su LC, Vu K, Tang L, Yang J, Nguyen KT.
Acta Biomaterialia 2013; 9: 9351-9359.