Dr. Emily Day is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and a joint Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Delaware. She is also the Associate Director of the Institute for Engineering Driven Health at the University of Delaware and a Senior Research Scientist with the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute.
Dr. Day’s research is focused on engineering nanoparticles with unique physicochemical properties. These tools are implemented to enable high precision treatment of diseases including aggressive cancers, hematologic disorders, and gynecologic/reproductive health conditions. Dr. Day was recently invited to present at an NIH Women’s Health Symposium in June related to her year 8 ACCEL project titled: ‘Loaded Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis in Pregnant and Non- Pregnant Women.’
- What is the significance of this research?
This research aims to understand the potential of nanoparticle-based therapies to treat gynecologic / reproductive health conditions (specifically, conditions localized to the vagina such as bacterial vaginosis).
2. Why did you want to conduct this research?
While nanoparticle-based therapies have shown immense promise against various diseases, including cancer and COVID-19, their use in gynecologic / reproductive health applications needs to be established. My team wanted to perform research that would provide insight into the biodistribution and short-term maternal and fetal safety of vaginally administered polymer-based nanoparticles.
3. What new information or insight do you believe this research provides for the field of women’s health at large?
Our research showed that nanoparticles administered vaginally to pregnant mice can deliver their encapsulated cargo to the vagina without negatively impacting short-term maternal or fetal growth. These findings warrant future investigation of vaginally administered nanomedicines to treat conditions affecting the vagina in pregnant and non-pregnant subjects.
4. How did you feel about presenting this research at the NIH Women’s Health Symposium? Is this something you have done before?
I enjoyed presenting at the NIH Women’s Health Symposium because it gave me the opportunity to hear about research from others who are working in similar fields. While I have presented my research at various national and international venues, this was my first time presenting at this particular symposium (which I believe was a new symposium this year).
5. What was one of the major obstacles that you had to overcome while conducting this research?
We originally studied only the location of the cargo within the nanoparticles after vaginal administration. In response to a reviewer comment on our manuscript, we also analyzed the location of the polymer itself by using a fluorophore-labeled version of the material. This showed that the cargo is retained in the vagina whereas the polymer is present in organs beyond the vagina. This was an interesting finding, so we were grateful for the suggestion to undertake this study.
6. What aspect of the ACCEL program, if any, was most helpful to you?
The ACCEL program has given me access to critical funding that has allowed me to conduct research and gain preliminary data for follow-on grant applications. Several of these applications have been converted into successful awards from the NIH, so I am very glad we have this program here in Delaware.
7. What do you hope to be the impact of this research, and what future directions do you see related research going?
Nanomedicine for women’s health applications is a rapidly growing field. I hope that the research we performed will provide useful insights to others who are working to develop nanomedicines for reproductive health conditions.