Demyelination, chief cause of the debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis, results from the loss of myelin, the protective coating that enables neurons, or nerve cells, to efficiently transmit electrical impulses from the brain to other parts of the body.
Sabrina Jedlicka, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, designs biologically functional materials that manipulate cellular response (above). She hopes to incorporate these materials into cell-based therapies and drug-delivery devices for central and peripheral nervous system applications.
In one project, Jedlicka plans to use biochemical signaling pathways to target diseased structures and deliver therapies that slow or reverse the loss of myelin.
“Demyelination is a complicated process, but the signaling pathways are well-studied,” says Jedlicka. “By examining the suspected pathways and rationally designing biofunctional materials into a drug-delivery platform, I hope to target the diseased sites in the body for therapeutic purposes.”
Jedlicka’s work on bio-inspired materials has been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry and the Journal of Physical Chemistry.
“I’m trying to bridge the gap between science and engineering to develop therapies for MS and other neurological diseases,” she says. “These therapies will include long-term implantable devices and targeted drug delivery. Advanced treatments and more effective ways of delivering these treatments will improve the quality of life for patients dealing with a degenerative disease.”
