The Almutairi lab’s work is tied together by an interest in amplifying chemical and physical stimuli through creative molecular architectures. This theme has led them to pursue a variety of biomedical challenges, from detecting vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque to enabling noninvasive light-mediated control of signaling in vivo. Surprisingly, these can be addressed by a single strategy: encapsulation of molecules within nanoparticles composed of polymers that degrade on demand. This unique approach has led to several breakthroughs, including a nanoparticle that releases cargo in response to disease-relevant concentrations of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and a means of activating MRI signal with unprecedented differences between on and off states. The lab is now translating these designs into clinically relevant imaging agents and drug carriers and designing new materials sensitive to distinct stimuli, such as enzymes overexpressed in disease conditions or wavelengths of light that effectively penetrate tissues.

Art of falling apart: Controlling polymer degradation for health sciences

251st National Meeting (2016)

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