Arturo Vegas

The Vegas group pursues general and systematic approaches to developing targeted therapeutic carriers for the treatment of multiple human diseases. Small-molecule drugs excel at altering disease states at the cellular level, but their therapeutic benefits are often hindered by physiological barriers that impact their toxicity, efficacy, and distribution. The ability to overcome these barriers can make major differences in both the safety and effectiveness of a therapeutic. Engineering-based approaches have successfully shown that formulation can overcome barriers associated with toxicity and bioavailability, and are increasingly focused on tissue distribution and selective targeting of diseased tissues. There are currently few examples of chemical approaches being used to develop and implement new targeting modalities for drug delivery, and key questions have arisen regarding implementation and outcome. Can we effectively utilize physiological targets to localize medicines to diseased tissues? What targets can be used to improve drug localization to tumor sites? Can we modulate the tumor microenvironment? Can we selectively destroy autoimmune-causing cells?