Lab Research Projects 191025- KT
- Liposomal formulation for local anesthesia and postoperative pain relief
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A liposomal formulation of a local anesthetic provides controlled and extended release at the injection site. Demonstrated pain reduction lasting more than a week in preclinical models and showed promising prolonged efficacy in early human studies. Clinical use aims to provide single-dose, long-lasting analgesia for postoperative pain management and potentially reduce the need for opioid rescue medication.
Selected Publication:Barenholz, Y. & Davidson, I. (2023). Liposomal bupivacaine for long-acting local anesthesia and postoperative pain relief: from concept to clinical success. Pharmaceutics 15(4): 1152.
- Liposomal doxorubicin–ceramide formulation (DOXcerIL18)
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A next-generation anticancer therapy combining liposomal doxorubicin with bioactive ceramide. Demonstrated superior efficacy to Doxil, including complete tumor remission in an ovarian cancer model while maintaining comparable stability and safety—currently in preclinical proof-of-concept evaluation, supporting its future advancement toward clinical development.
- Liposomal corticosteroids for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
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PEGylated nanoliposomes encapsulating amphipathic steroid prodrugs provide prolonged circulation, targeted accumulation in inflamed tissues, and markedly reduced systemic toxicity. They have demonstrated high therapeutic efficacy in several animal models of inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, local inflammation, and cerebral malaria [rev. in 1], along with favorable safety in first-in-human studies, supporting their potential as next-generation anti-inflammatory therapies.
Selected Publications:- Turjeman, K. & Barenholz, Y. (2016). Liposomal nano-drugs based on amphipathic weak acid steroid prodrugs for treatment of inflammatory diseases. J. Drug Target. 24(9): 805-820.
- Bavli, Y., Chen, B.M., Roffler, S.R., Dobrovolskaia, M.A., Elnekave, E., Ash, S., Barenholz, Y., & Turjeman, K. (2020). PEGylated liposomal methylprednisolone succinate does not induce infusion reactions in patients: correlation between in vitro immunological and in vivo clinical studies. Molecules 25(3): 558.
- RNA-based vaccines and immunotherapies
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Development of mRNA and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) platforms for infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapy. The research focuses on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems optimized for large and complex RNA payloads, enabling efficient in-vivo expression of antigens and immunomodulators. These LNPs are being tested in tumor and viral models to optimize expression, immune activation, and therapeutic efficacy, guiding the design of future RNA-based treatments.
- Liposomal protein-based vaccines for viral diseases
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Liposomal protein-based vaccines designed to elicit strong and durable immune responses against viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. The platform enables delivery of variable antigens and conserved viral proteins that provide cross-variant protection. In preclinical studies, these formulations induced potent neutralizing antibodies in multiple animal models and conferred protection in COVID-19 challenge experiments, supporting their further development for pandemic preparedness and other viral diseases.