Shrey Shah, MS
Microneedles for Targeting Immune Cells in the Skin to Combat Autoimmune Diseases
Summary
About 1 in 5 Americans are living with an autoimmune disease in which their immune system mistakenly attacks their own healthy cells. About 75% of those affected are women. Currently, there are no cures for these diseases, and the available treatments tend to weaken the entire immune system, leaving patients vulnerable to other infections. One approach to tackle this problem involves training specialized immune cells, called dendritic cells, to restore immune system balance more selectively. These dendritic cells are highly concentrated in the skin, making it a promising target for autoimmune disease treatments. My project focuses on developing microneedles — tiny micron-sized needles applied like a Band-Aid — to deliver immune cues to dendritic cells in the skin to train them to selectively regulate the immune response. Upon completion, this project will provide proof of concept for targeting and training the dendritic cells in skin using microneedles to combat autoimmune diseases.
Review Article: Advancing immunotherapy using biomaterials to control tissue, cellular, and molecular level immune signaling in skin
Watch a Q&A with Shrey
Receiving this fellowship is a great honor for me. By supporting my PhD research project, it not only represents a crucial step forward for my academic journey, but also enables me to make an impact in advancing the field of drug delivery.
