Well, This Wasn’t the Plan.
When I first started my senior research project, I thought I knew exactly where I was heading. I aimed to optimize the efficiency of kidney transplants by comparing the outcomes of HLA/ABO antigen-incompatible transplants that complied with US regulations versus HLA/ABO antigen-compatible transplants that violated US regulations. My goal was to determine whether compatibility requirements should be reinstated or where regulations should be relaxed.
I mapped out a meticulous plan to tackle the issue — though, in hindsight, it may not have been the most foolproof. Yet, a younger version of me from a couple weeks ago, was absolutely convinced it was. I overcame several roadblocks, and everything seemed to be making sense — until it didn’t.
As I was collecting data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), I encountered my biggest roadblock. My project included three independent variables — HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) Compatibility, ABO Blood Antigen Compatibility, and adherence to US regulations — analyzing transplant success across six categories. However, the format in which the OPTN provided the data made it impossible to meaningfully merge the data and draw the necessary conclusions for my project.
I searched several statistics textbooks for methods to merge the data and even tried to slightly reorient my project or change my methodology… but nothing worked. After conferring with my peer partner, Nneamaka Oniya, and my faculty advisor, Dr. May, we decided it was time to put the project on hold. As Charles de Gaulle once said “Genius sometimes consists of knowing when to stop.” With more resources and expertise, I hope to revisit this project in the future.
In pursuit of a new project, I shifted my focus from transplants to alternative treatments, specifically novel drug delivery systems. As I dove deeper into this area, I became particularly interested in nasal sprays, learning about the pressing need for alternatives to traditional drug products, in order to improve safety, efficacy, efficiency, and patient compliance. This investigation led me to my new research project: converting a molecule used in traditional medicine into a form viable for nasal delivery.
You may ask “Why do we need nasal sprays when we already have oral, intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) medications?”
I spent the last week getting my new project running — finalizing a new internship, getting admin approval, rewriting my introduction/ literature review…. and answering that exact question.
Oral medications must pass the gastrointestinal tract, before arriving at the target site, leading to a delayed onset of action. After being dissolved in the stomach acid, and absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestines, the medication travels to the liver for first-pass metabolism. Unable to distinguish the difference between toxins and medications, the liver breaks down the highly concentrated medication, leaving only a small fraction “bioavailable” to reach the intended destination. Although IV and IM avoid first-pass metabolism, delivering higher drug concentrations to the target site, they are often inaccessible and invasive— anxiety from needles delays administration and incorrect technique may cause injury. Not only are nasal sprays easy to administer and store; they are also fast-acting due to the high vascularization and tissue permeability of the nasal cavity, which increases absorption.
Now, that was enough to convince me of the need to convert a traditional medicine molecule into a form suitable for nasal delivery, optimizing its bioavailability and minimizing invasiveness and injury risk. I hope I convinced you too!
Next week, I will continue working with my mentor, Dr. Venkat Goskonda, PhD, to finalize a molecule and begin the first step of turning it into a nasal spray.
Stay tuned for the molecule reveal!
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