Publications by authors named "Martha Fowler"

Effective vascularization is crucial for repairing and enhancing the longevity of engineered tissues and organs. As the field advances, there is a vital need for efficient and reliable methods for assessing vascularization in real-time. The integration and performance of constructed biomaterials in living organisms rely on angiogenesis and vascularization, making it essential to evaluate vascular development and networks within biomaterials.

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Despite recent technological advances in drug discovery, the success rate for neurotherapeutics remains alarmingly low compared to treatments for other areas of the body. One of the biggest challenges for delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). blood-brain barrier models with high predictability are essential to aid in designing parameters for new therapeutics, assess their ability to cross the BBB, and investigate therapeutic strategies that can be employed to enhance transport.

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Article Synopsis
  • Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) involves cancer cells spreading into the subarachnoid space, affecting fibrous structures around the brain and spinal cord.
  • The study explored how the architecture of these structures impacts tumor growth and metastasis, using electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) to replicate the fiber architecture found in vivo.
  • Findings showed that a porous fiber structure allowed for greater spread and infiltration of pediatric medulloblastoma cells, highlighting the significance of fiber architecture in cancer behavior.
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  • The development of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) for therapy faces challenges like poor solubility and tissue penetration, but nanoparticle encapsulation offers a potential solution.
  • A novel library of β-cyclodextrin-poly (β-amino ester) networks (CDN) was formulated, achieving high loading and slow drug release for HDACi like panobinostat, with a focus on the importance of network architecture.
  • These optimized CDNs showed effective uptake by cancer cells and improved delivery in vivo, leading to reduced tumor growth and confirming the therapeutic benefits of enhanced drug exposure in targeted tissues.
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