The cutting edge of antioxidant therapy

Silvia Muro Galindo, PhD, is a research assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research is designed to increase the amount of therapeutic enzymes that reach the interior of cells by targeting the enzymes to specific sites on the cell surface. She does this by working with features on the enzyme delivery vehicle as well as those on the surface of targeted cells.

According to Dr. Galindo, “Understanding such interactions between drug delivery vehicles and the target cells brings crucial information towards the optimization of intracellular delivery of therapeutics and the duration of their effects.” The potential benefits of this research for healthcare include more precise therapy at lower doses with a lower risk of side effects.

She is not alone in this quest. For example, researchers are targeting antioxidant enzymes to treat brain tumors. Others are targeting antioxidants to decrease the complications of cardiac surgery. Just two examples of the many areas of targeted antioxdant therapeutics being researched today.

7/7/06 08:27 JR