Abstract

Recent advancements in cancer research has led to the synthesis of a new drug known as docetaxel. Meant to replace paclitaxel, its more natural counterpart whose ingredients are difficult to obtain, the drug is known to effectively treat a wide array of cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. The establishment of a synthetic alternative to paclitaxel has increased its bioavailability, thereby lowering the cost needed to utilize the drug. Still, the limiting factor in minimizing costs is the method in which the drug is processed. Current methods in drug processing have their limitations, which include the introduction of impurities and a low effective yield due to poor powder geometry. Thus, the goal of this study looks to explore a new way to process the drug in a more efficient manner. In this study, a new method for processing docetaxel is explored on in great detail. A more direct method of using electrospray deposition is utilized for the creation of monodisperse nanoparticles, with the main intention of increasing the efficiency at which the drug is processed and prepared for drug delivery to the patient by means of injection. A key feature in electrospray deposition is its ability to produce droplets that are sized homogenously. These droplets eventually evaporate at homogenous rates. These two concepts have been exploited to consistently produce nanoparticles of the cancer drug, which is made possible by the fact that the minimal variation in droplet sizes has easily translated to minimal variation in dry particle sizes. Compared to other methods of drug processing, one other benefit that electrospray deposition conveys is that through evaporation, virtually all impurities and unwanted foreign material are eliminated.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2015

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Deng, Weiwei

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degree Program

Mechanical Engineering

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Engineering and Computer Science; Engineering and Computer Science -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004872

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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