# Drug Delivery and Molecular Sensing (DDMS)

> **NIH NIH P30** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $28,182

## Abstract

Drug Delivery and Molecular Sensing (DDMS) Research Program
 Project Summary
 The Drug Delivery and Molecular Sensing (DDMS) Research Program aims to provide physical
science/engineering and technology solutions to advance the understanding of cancer biology, and to improve
prevention, detection and treatment of cancers. These solutions integrate Purdue Center for Cancer Research
(PCCR) Foundational Disciplines into collaborative studies that are launched from DDMS-associated expertise,
including molecular conjugates and nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery, new imaging modalities for surgical
guidance and drug sensitivity, and new in vitro tumor models to study cancer biology. To accomplish future goals,
the DDMS Program will pursue three scientific themes that are embodied in its specific aims.
 Aim 1: Next generation therapeutic delivery systems to precisely administer anti-cancer agents
 Aim 2: Ultra-precision sensing and imaging techniques and devices for early detection and prognosis
 Aim 3: Innovative enabling technologies for research across the cancer spectrum
 The program is comprised of 31 faculty members from 13 Purdue University academic departments.
Members of the DDMS Program synergistically collaborate with other PCCR Research Programs, as
demonstrated by strong inter-programmatic publications (20%). DDMS is highly productive, having generated
370 cancer-relevant publications between July 2015 and July 2019. Among these publications, 58% represent
collaborative work. DDMS efforts are sustained by $4.6 million (direct) in peer-reviewed, cancer-relevant funding
in the last budget year. In addition, 86 patents and five start-up companies were created. To facilitate this highly
multidisciplinary Research Program, the Program Leaders (Drs. Bumsoo Han and Yoon Yeo) have been working
on promoting collaborative research and integrating biological sciences and engineering disciplines.
 Notable outcomes of investigations during the current funding period are new nanoparticle formulations
targeting both cancer and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, ligand-targeted imaging and
therapeutic agents, a new intraoperative image-guidance technique based on spectroscopy, and a new imaging
modality to assess the chemosensitivity of tumor tissues. In addition, new in vitro tumor models have been
developed to identify and validate new drug targets for pancreatic cancer and to perform research on drug
resistance and tumor onset for breast cancer.
 During the next funding period, DDMS leadership will pursue four initiatives: (1) continued excellence in drug
delivery and molecular sensing; (2) accelerated validation of sensing and imaging technologies with preclinical
models; (3) building on computational and data science expertise for cancer biology and drug discovery; and (4)
development of greater strength in physical science/engineering for oncology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10024921
- **Project number:** 2P30CA023168-40
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bumsoo Han
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $28,182
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10024921

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10024921, Drug Delivery and Molecular Sensing (DDMS) (2P30CA023168-40). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10024921. Licensed CC0.

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