About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Nanotechnology for Energy, Environment, Healthcare and Industry
|
| Presentation Title |
Combined Effects of Magnetic, Photothermal, and Ultrasonic Enhancement of Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticle Transport across the Round Window Membrane for Inner Ear Drug Delivery |
| Author(s) |
Thiraj Dhanushan Mohankumar, Veil Plazuela, Daniel Sun, Donglu Shi |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Thiraj Dhanushan Mohankumar |
| Abstract Scope |
We investigate PEGylated iron-oxide magnetic–photothermal nanoparticles (MPNPs) to improve drug delivery across the round window membrane (RWM) for hearing loss treatment. Prior approaches relied mainly on magnetic fields to drive Fe3O4 nanoparticle transport across RWM, but this strategy is clinically limited by rapid decay of magnetic field strength with distance. Here, we introduce a complementary approach combining magnetic guidance with photothermal heating and ultrasonic stimulation to enhance nanoparticle transport through thermally activated and mechanically assisted processes. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibiting plasmonic and superparamagnetic behavior were PEGylated to yield nanoscale hydrodynamic diameters suitable for membrane transport. Transport studies used decellularized porcine intestinal submucosal membranes in a dual-chamber diffusion system enabling controlled magnetic fields, laser irradiation, and ultrasonication. Nanoparticle transport, quantified by iron assays, increased with combined photothermal and ultrasonic activation compared with isothermal controls. Combined inputs produced additive enhancements supporting MPNPs for inner-ear drug delivery for future clinical hearing loss therapies. |