Lab
Lamprou Lab
Institution: Queen's University Belfast
Department: School of Pharmacy
About the lab
The Lamprou Lab offers an excellent environment for research with several laboratories that are fitted with modern equipment. Our research lab expertise is in Emerging Technologies for Drug Delivery Systems, Medical Devices & Implants. Examples of Emerging (bio)pharmaceutical technologies include: 3D Printing & Bioprinting, 4D Bioprinting, Electrospinning, Microfluidics & Lab-on-a-chip, and BioMEMS. Our studies include: formulation, physicochemical characterization, computational modelling, ex vivo, in vivo & in vitro evaluation. PubMed-based algorithms placed us in the top 0.1% of scholars in the world writing about 3D Printing, and in the top 0.07% of scholars in the world writing about Microfluidics. For more info, please visit: www.lamproulab.com & www.3dprintingbioprintinglab.com.
Featured research (164)
Treating diabetic retinopathy (DR) effectively is challenging, aiming for high efficacy with minimal discomfort. While intravitreal injection is the current standard, it has several disadvantages. Implantable systems offer an alternative, less invasive, with long-lasting effects drug delivery system (DDS). The current study aims to develop a soft, minimally invasive, biodegradable, and bioadhesive material-based hydrogel scaffold to prevent common issues with implants. A grid-shaped scaffold was created using coaxial 3D printing (3DP) to extrude two bioinks in a single filament. The scaffold comprises an inner core of curcumin-loaded liposomes (CUR-LPs) that prepared by microfluidics (MFs) embedded in a hydrogel of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and an outer layer of hyaluronic acid-chitosan matrix with free resveratrol (RSV), delivering two Sirt1 agonists synergistically activating Sirt1 downregulated in DR. Optimized liposomes, prepared via MFs, exhibit suitable properties for retinal delivery in terms of size (<200 nm), polydispersity index (PDI) (<0.3), neutral zeta potential (ZP), encapsulation efficiency (∼97 %), and stability up to 4 weeks. Mechanical studies confirm scaffold elasticity for easy implantation. The release profiles show sustained release of both molecules, with different patterns related to different localization of the molecules. RSV released initially after 30 min with a total release more than 90 % at 336 h. CUR release starts after 24 h with only 4.78 % of CUR released before and gradually released thanks to its internal localization in the scaffold. Liposomes and hydrogels can generate dual drug-loaded 3D structures with sustained release. Microscopic analysis confirms optimal distribution of liposomes within the hydrogel scaffold. The latter resulted compatible in vitro with human retinal microvascular endothelial cells up to 72 h of exposition. The hydrogel scaffold, composed of hyaluronic acid and chitosan, shows promise for prolonged treatment and minimally invasive surgery.
The inherent flexibility of elastic liposomes (EL) allows them to penetrate the small skin pores and reach the dermal region, making them an optimum candidate for topical drug delivery. Loading chemotherapy in ELs could improve chemotherapy’s topical delivery and localise its effect on skin carcinogenic tissues. Chemotherapy-loaded EL can overcome the limitations of conventional administration of chemotherapies and control the distribution to specific areas of the skin. In the current studies, Paclitaxel was utilised to develop Paclitaxel-loaded EL. As an alternative to the conventional manufacturing methods of EL, this study is one of the novel investigations utilising microfluidic systems to examine the potential to enhance and optimise the quality of Els by the microfluidics method. The primary aim was to achieve EL with a size of < 200 nm, high homogeneity, high encapsulation efficiency, and good stability. A phospholipid (DOPC) combined with neutral and anionic edge activators (Tween 80 and sodium taurocholate hydrate) at various lipid-to-edge activator ratios, was used for the manufacturing of the ELs. A preliminary study was performed to study the size, polydispersity (PDI), and stability to determine the optimum microfluidic parameters and lipid-to-edge activator for paclitaxel encapsulation. Furthermore, physiochemical characterisation was performed on the optimised Paclitaxel–loaded EL using a variety of methods, including Dynamic Light Scattering, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy, elasticity, encapsulation efficiency, and In vitro release. The results reveal the microfluidics’ significant impact in enhancing the EL characteristics of EL, especially small and controllable size, Low PDI, and high encapsulation efficiency. Moreover, the edge activator type and concentration highly affect the EL characteristics. The Tween 80 formulations with optimised concentration provide the most suitable size and higher encapsulation efficiency. The release profile of the formulations showed more immediate release from the EL with higher edge activator concentration and a higher % of the released dug from the Tween 80 formulations.
The book covers the basics of microfluidics, current applications in areas such as formulation, drug delivery, drug screening and development, monitoring and diagnostics, and case studies from a teaching perspective to undergraduate and postgraduate students, allowing application of the content in a flipped classroom. Multiple choice questions are included at the end of each chapter. All chapter authors are pioneers and world leaders. This is an ideal book for students, researchers, and industry professionals working on microfluidics in the pharmaceutical sciences.
The growing accessibility to microfluidics and its proclivity for producing high-quality results have propelled the technology into an area of wide-scale interest; however, this rapid growth has come to a point where it must be matched by inherent sustainable practices to ensure its longevity. The applications of microfluidics are diverse, from medicinal formulation to complex analyte detection, further increasing the need for establishing sustainable methodologies. Factors such as experimental design, time efficiency, and cost viability are all feasible avenues to pursue, with the goal of improving the sustainability of microfluidics, whilst maintaining the previously established quality obtained during the initial growth of microfluidics. A particular focus upon the effective training of the microfluidic operator is highlighted, which can improve the likelihood of experimental success, consequently reducing waste produced. From a sustainability viewpoint, microfluidics is assessed in this chapter, in terms of its environmental, economic, and social factors, for manufacturing and analytical purposes in the pharmaceutical field. The aim of this chapter is to ensure that the future generation of microfluidic users will work with a consideration as to the sustainable impact that will come as consequence of scientific experimentation.
The advancement of microfluidics (MFs) for use in a variety of fields has pushed forward technology in many areas, including rapid diagnostics, point-of-care devices, therapeutic manufacturing, and non-animal trial methods for the testing of therapeutics and cosmetics. The importance of MFs was especially highlighted by the role they played in the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the manufacturing of COVID vaccines and in rapid antigen tests that were used widely in clinical and non-clinical settings. In this chapter, the most recent of these advancements in these fields will be discussed. Additionally, ways in which the field of MFs could change in order to push forward further progress will be discussed along with what potential advancements in adjacent fields would be useful for the continued improvement and expansion of MFs.
Lab head
Department
- School of Pharmacy
About Dimitrios A Lamprou
- Dimitrios, is the author of over 160 peer-reviewed publications and of over 450 conference abstracts, has over 190 Invited talks in institutions and conferences across the world, and has secure Funding in excess of £5M. Dimitrios, has been recognised as world leader in 3D Printing / Bioprinting & Microfluidics / lab-on-a-chip, and has been named in the Stanford University's list of World's Top 2% Scientists for several consecutive years.
Members (5)
Colette O'Hagan
Yufeng Qin
Siyuyang Wu
Edward Mihr
Monika Wojtyłko
Michaela Crummy
Vlad Lesutan
Rutuja Meshram