Houston Daily

Tianfu Wu, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Houston, is working on a new drug delivery method aimed at improving treatment for lupus. With support from a $1 million Impact Award from the U.S. Department of Defense, Wu’s research focuses on sending medication directly to the spleen, which plays a central role in the development of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that leads to frequent flares, organ damage, and reduced quality of life. The spleen filters blood and contains immune cells called lymphocytes that are involved in lupus.

Wu explained, “The current therapeutic landscape for lupus is often marred by systemic side effects and relatively limited efficacy. To address these challenges, we are proposing a spleen-specific selective organ targeting lipid nanoparticle drug delivery system to modulate immune responses and mitigate symptoms with minimal side effects.”

The proposed system uses lipid nanoparticles modified with mannose to carry medicine specifically to the spleen. This approach targets key immune cells such as B cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and macrophages that contribute to lupus. Mannose helps direct the particles to their intended target within the spleen.

“New drug delivery systems are urgently needed to provide more effective treatment options that fine-tune or modulate the immune system rather than employing systemic immunosuppression or B-cell depletion,” said Wu. “Systemic immunosuppression can lead to severe side effects and increase the risk of infections, while systemic B-cell depletion may wipe out beneficial B cells, leading to unfavorable complications.”

According to Wu, this may be the first time a spleen-specific targeting system has been developed for use in lupus models.

“The primary aim is not only to advance treatment strategies for lupus but also to deepen our understanding of lupus pathogenesis. Significantly, this innovation will pave the way for treating lupus by targeting organ-specific molecular pathways, recognizing that the same drug target may have opposing roles in different organs, such as the spleen versus end-organs like the kidney, heart or central nervous system,” said Wu.