TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR APPLICATION IN SPACE FLIGHT

THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION DURING SPACE FLIGHT. MICROGRAVITY AND OTHER CONDITIONS DURING SPACE FLIGHT CREATE NEW HEALTH PROBLEMS AND NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR METHODS OF DRUG DELIVERY. IN MANY INSTANCES, MEDICAL PROCEDURES APPLICABLE ON EARTH ARE ILL SUITED TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF SPACE, WHICH REQUIRES MINIMUM WEIGHT AND VOLUME, ELIMINATION OF FLUID HANDLING, AND EASE OF OPERATION WITHOUT SPECIALIZED TRAINING OR REFERRAL TO FULLY EQUIPPED CENTERS. THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL CENTER ON THE PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT OF AN IONTOPHORETIC SYSTEM TO TREAT MEDICAL CONDITIONS OCCURRING IN SPACE SPACE FLIGHT BY PARENTERAL DELIVERY OF DRUGS. SPECIFICALLY, THE RESEARCH WILL INCLUDE:1) DETERMINATION OF THE SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS TO INTEGRATE WITH NASA REQUIREMENTS; 2) DESIGN OF A BATTERY POWERED IONTOPHORETIC DOSE CONTROLLER (IDC); 3) SYNTHESIS OF A POLYMERIC HYDROGEL MATRIX TO CONTAIN THE DRUGS; 4) FABRICATION OF A MODEL SYSTEM AND PRELIMINARY LABORATORY CHARACTERIZATION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE MEASUREMENTS OF DRUG TRANSPORT, TOXICITY AND DERMAL IRRITATION TESTS. THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL BE A COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT SYSTEM FOR PAINLESS, NON-INVASIVE, NON-FLUIDIC, CONTROLLABLE DELIVERY OF DRUGS BY THE PARENTERAL ROUTE. TO DELINEATE THE SPECIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM, THREE MODEL DRUGS, FENTANYL, GALLIUM AND SCOPOLAMINE, FOR TREATMENT OF SEVERE PAIN, BONE DEMINERALIZATION AND MOTION SICKNESS, HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE PROJECT