Download Title - Tufts University

Poster No. 53
Title:
A Nano-Scale Polymeric Drug Delivery Vehicle
Authors:
Bruce Panilaitis, Michael Mercaldi, Michael Curtis, Guillermo Castro, Emilia Bora, David Kaplan
Presented by:
Bruce Panilaitis
Department(s):
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering
Abstract:
Emulsans are complex amphiphilic heteropolysaccharides secreted by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and
characterized by a trisaccharide repeat with fatty acid side chains ranging from C12-C20. The ability of
emulsans to form stable oil in water emulsions has led to interest in their utilization in various technological
applications including drug encapsulation and delivery. Structural similarities between emulsan and
lipopolysaccharides of Gram negative bacteria have also led to the exploration of the immunopotentiation
properties of emulsans. Recent studies have explored the self-assembly behavior of emulsans in solution in order
to better understand the link between structure and function. Progress has also been made in producing a wide
range of oil-in-water emulsions containing oil soluble drugs with emulsions between ~300 nm through 10 µm.
55