Newswise — EL PASO, Texas (June 6, 2024) — Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are developing a new therapeutic approach that uses nanoparticles for the treatment of skin and lung fibrosis, conditions that can result in severe damage to the body’s tissues. Md Nurunnabi, Ph.D.
, is an associate professor in UTEP’s School of Pharmacy and the lead researcher on two studies published this June in the medical Journal of Controlled Release; one study focuses on skin fibrosis and the other on lung fibrosis . “We are closer than ever to developing a safe, effective and reliable approach to treating fibrosis,” Nurunnabi said. Fibrosis is a condition in which the tissues in an organ — such as the skin, lungs, liver or kidneys — become thicker and stiffer, according to Nurunnabi.
This can have multiple damaging effects, such as the lungs not being able to hold enough oxygen or blood vessels becoming narrower, leading to high blood pressure. “I studied fibrosis during my postdoctoral training but became interested in focusing on it in my lab during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nurunnabi said. “I observed that many people were passing away not because of COVID itself, but because of the inflammation and fibrosis caused by the viral infection in the lungs.
Our lab focuses on developing nanotechnology that can target specific cells.” Fibrosis can occur as a side effect of chemotherapy or the result of a viral infection or autoimmune disease, a condition in wh.
