Development of a nanotechnology resource center to advance urological research

Abstract Novel technologies facilitate breakthroughs in scientific discovery with concomitant advances in therapy. In the case of nanotechnology, a major focus has been on optimizing its use for targeted drug delivery, imaging, diagnosis, or a combination of therapeutics and diagnosis (?theranosis?). However, the application of nanotechnology in the research and treatment of benign urological pathologies remains underexplored. At our institution (?Einstein?), the research laboratory of Dr. Joel Friedman has developed a nanoparticle- delivery system (the ?Einstein? nanoparticle). We and others have applied this system to multiple research fields, including benign urology, as documented by >20 publications, several extramurally funded research projects, and licensing to a commercial entity. This nanoparticle-delivery system has intrinsic potential for modulation of its physicochemical properties, allowing use in a vast array of basic research and clinical conditions. However, the availability of these nanoparticle-delivery systems to the general urologic research community is currently limited by the absence of specific resource allocations for design and synthesis. This proposal addresses these limitations by establishing a P20 Resource Development Center with two primary goals: 1) to educate and promote the use of nanotechnology within the urologic basic and clinical research community, and 2) to create a resource development (research project) component in which the ?Einstein? nanoparticle will be available for collaborative projects focused on benign urologic diseases. The proposed Resource Center will design and synthesize nanoparticles tailored to each research project until commercial entities assume this role. The Center will be highly synergistic, with investigators learning how nanotechnology can be applied to their specific field of research. Investigators will have access to resources and training, so they can apply the ?Einstein? nanotechnology in their project. Investigators will require design and synthesis of novel nanoparticle formulations tailored to their specific research projects. This process would therefore lead to the development and expansion of novel nanoparticle formulations for a variety of benign urologic conditions. We anticipate that commercial entities will be positioned to synthesize nanoparticles within 2-4 years, eventually replacing the need for this P20 Resource Center.