Lisa Volpatti, MS, MPhil, PhD
Turning Bad Cholesterol Into a Good Drug Delivery Vehicle
Summary
Obesity-related diseases are rising at an alarming rate, and many are fueled by chronic inflammation that current treatments are unable to fully control. Some drugs that modulate the immune system to reduce inflammation can help, but they often cause serious side effects that limit their long-term use. To address this challenge, we are creating a new kind of precision therapy that works with the body’s natural systems. Our approach uses “bad cholesterol” particles as vehicles to deliver medicine directly to inflamed tissues. By designing proteins that attach to these particles, we can build nanoscale delivery systems that travel to diseased areas while sparing healthy ones. In this project, we will explore how different versions of these delivery systems behave in the body and identify the safest and most effective ways to administer them. This innovative platform could transform how we treat inflammation and unlock new therapies for a wide range of diseases.
This award is a milestone in my career, marking my first nationally competitive grant as a faculty member. It supports our work targeting lipid-loaded macrophages — a key step toward developing better therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases.
