Lichtgedanken 03

S C HW E R P U N K T 46 You are an expert in innovative polymer-based batteries, self-healing materials and innovative applications of inkjet printing. Why are you and your team of chemists and mate- rial scientists now also developing new drugs? Another of our specialist fields is that of pharmaceutical po- lymers, which are synthetic materials for use in medicine. To- gether with a strong University Hospital and the non-univer- sity institutes, we have been able to build up a solid position, which is reflected in the new Collaborative Research Centre »PolyTarget«, funded by the German Research Foundation. In this CRC, we want to package active substances in such a way that they can be sent directly to the location of the disease, without side effects. Why should active substances be packaged in nanoparti- cles and why are these particles in particular well-suited for tackling infectious diseases? There are many well-known antibiotics which cannot be used, because they have too many side effects: the dose is too high and the drugs are distributed throughout the body. And there are many potential new antibiotics which cannot be used, because they are not water-soluble and therefore not bioavailable. We offer solutions for both of these limitati- ons. We package the active substances in tiny polymer-based nanoparticles. This causes far fewer side effects, partly becau- se the doses can be smaller, as we ensure that they are taken up specifically by the organs and cells that are targeted. We are developing these new pharmaceutical polymers using ro- botics, with high-throughput methods, working together with our medical colleagues right up to the application stage. Your nanoparticles are containers for these active substances. What does the ideal container for such substances look like? The ideal container for an active substance is of course non- toxic and biodegradable, and all its harmless components should ultimately be excreted. Furthermore, it has a GPS sys- tem with which we can determine which organ and which cell the container must reach. The container also contains a dye, so that with a modern microscope, one can trace where the con- tainer is going and further optimise its path. The CRC is first of all a basic research project, with which we want to develop an understanding of the size, the load and the type of polymer we need to use in order to deliver genetic material or an anti- biotic or peptide to the desired location. Our aim is to develop a platform that will also make it possible in future to develop new drugs in a relatively short time to the stage where they can be used to cure other diseases. Up to now, you have never limited yourself to basic research. Are you also planning to put the nanocontainers to practical use in therapies and diagnostics? That is of course also planned. We already have a spin-off, SmartDyeLivery GmbH, which, in collaboration with the Uni- versity Hospital, will shortly be working with a large animal model on a very specific pathology—sepsis-induced choles- tasis. At the same time, there are various application-oriented projects in collaboration with industry. When can we hope to see the first polymer nanocontainers in use? That will depend on how much time is needed for the medical formalities and the studies. The goal of the CRC is in any case to achieve some translation into practice within four years, so that follow-up projects can be carried out directly with com- panies. The field is so huge—is it possible to deal with it, even with such a diverse team? Naturally, we have restricted our work. We use the nanome- dicine that we want to pursue really only for infection-rela- ted diseases, such as sepsis. Because here in Jena we have a strong position in this field, with the other priority areas at the University and the non-university institutes. Only together can we achieve critical mass. But in Jena we are lucky to have, among other disciplines, Medicine, Pharmaceutics, Bioche- mistry, Macromolecular Chemistry, and Material Science. There are not many locations that can offer so much in one place. GPS for antibiotics How does an active substance know where it should go? And how does the substance get from the bloodstream to exactly the right spot? Using polymer-based nanosystems, researchers in Jena want in future to direct drugs in a targeted fashion to the source of the infection and deliver active substances—antibiotics, for example—precisely where they are needed. INTERVIEW: AXEL BURCHARDT Chemist and materials scientist Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert is coordinator of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1278 »PolyTarget« (see also box p. 11). With innovative carrier materials for the targeted application of medicines, the research consortium supports the diverse and broad-based sepsis and infection research being carried out at the University of Jena, Jena University Hospital and non-univer- sity research institutes in Jena. F E AT U R E