Improving Lung Disease Medication Through 3D Printing

AMES, Iowa (August 20, 2020) – FSHN adjunct assistant professor Dr. Xiaolei Shi and her lab team recently published their research about 3D printing technology in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials.

Their aim was to fabricate customized dosage forms of the drug theophylline using extrusion-based 3D printing, a specific 3D printing process that dispenses material through a nozzle.  Theophylline is a drug used to prevent and treat wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness caused by asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases.

Graduate student Yiliang Cheng worked on the prediction of 3D printability by studying the use of semi-solid materials and investigating the micro-structure and drug release profile of 3D printed tablets. They hope the findings will support the development of customized medicine with improved results.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.34697: Cheng, Y., Qin, H., Acevedo, N. C. & Shi, X. Development of methylcellulose-based sustained-release dosage by semisolid extrusion additive manufacturing in drug delivery system. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part B Appl. Biomater. 1–12 (2020) doi:10.1002/jbm.b.34697.