1. Explore the use of lipid prodrugs and lipid-based formulatons to improve oral absorption of drugs with suboptimal biopharmaceutical properties

2. Investigate the role of the lymphatic system in the pharmacokinetics of biotherapeutics after different routes of administration

3. Examine the therapeutic benefit of promoting lymphatic drug transport in the treatment of related disease areas including (auto)immune disorders, cancer metastasis and metabolic syndrome where the lymphatic system is closely involved 

Representative Research Achievements

Dr. Luojuan Hu joined the China Pharmaceutical University and started a new research group (co-led with Dr Sifei Han) in late 2022. Before that, she worked as a research fellow in Prof Chris Porter’s group in Monash University in Australia for 10 years focusing on lymphatic drug delivery. Following are some representative research achievements from her previous work:

1). Developed and demonstrated a lymph targeting lipid memetic prodrug strategy that markedly improve the systemic exposure of drugs such as testosteronal where oral bioavailability is limited due to substantial first-pass metabolism. The work was published in a prestigious journal - Angew Chem Int Ed Engl.

2). Co-invented > 8 patent families based on lymph directing prodrug technology. The proprietary technology is licensed to commercial partner PureTech Health (Boston), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. A Phase 1 clinical study of LYT-300 (oral allopregnanolone) based on the technology was successfully finished at the end of 2022 and an open-label, Phase 2a, proof-of-concept clinical trial is expected to begin in 2023. 

1. T Quach^#, L Hu^#, S Han, SF Lim, D Senyschyn, P Yadav, NL Trevaskis, JS Simpson, CJH Porter. Triglyceride-mimetic Prodrugs of Buprenorphine Enhance Oral Bioavailability via Promotion of Lymphatic Transport. Front. Pharmacology, (2022) doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.879660

2. E Cao, MJ Watt, CJ Nowell, T Quach, JS Simpson, VDM Ferreira, S Agarwal, H Chu, A Srivastava, D Anderson, G Gracia, A Lam, G Segal, J Hong, L Hu, KL Phang, ABJ E, JA Windsor, ARJ Phillips, DJ Creek, NL Harvey, CJH Porter, NL Trevaskis. Mesenteric lymphatic dysfunction promotes insulin resistance and represents a potential treatment target in obesity. Nat Metab. 3 (2021), 1175-1188

3. R Kochappan, E Cao, S Han, L Hu, T Quach, D Senyschyn, VI Ferreira, G Lee, S Lim, C Nowell, D Bonner, J Mintern, JS Simpson, NL Trevaskis, CJH Porter. Targeted delivery of mycophenolic acid to the mesenteric lymph node using a triglyceride mimetic prodrug approach enhances gut-specific immunomodulation in mice. J. Control. Release, 332 (2021), 636-651

4. S Han, T Quach, L Hu, SF Lim, Gracia, NL Trevaskis, JS Simpson, CJH Porter. The impact of conjugation position and linker chemistry on the lymphatic transport of a series of glyceride and phospholipid mimetic prodrugs. J. Pharm. Sci. 110 (2021), 489-499 

5. S Han^#, L Hu^#, Gracia, T Quach, JS Simpson, GA Edwards, NL Trevaskis, CJH Porter. Lymphatic Transport of a Triglyceride Mimetic Prodrug in a Large Animal Model: Studies in Greyhound Dogs. Mol. Pharmaceutics, 13 (2016): 3351-3361 (Faculty 1000 recommended)

6. L Hu^#, T Quach^#, S Han^#, SF Lim, NL Trevaskis, JS Simpson, CJH Porter. Glyceride-Mimetic Prodrugs Incorporating Self-Immolative Spacers Promote Lymphatic Transport, Avoid First-Pass Metabolism, and Enhance Oral Bioavailability. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 55 (2016), 13700-13705 (Frontispiece) 

7. S Han, L Hu, T Quach, JS Simpson, NL Trevaskis, CJH Porter. Constitutive Triglyceride Turn-Over into the Mesenteric Lymph is Unable to Support Efficient Lymphatic Transport of a Bio-mimetic Triglyceride Prodrug. J. Pharm. Sci, 105 (2016):786-96

8. S Han, L Hu, T Quach, JS Simpson, NL Trevaskis, CJH Porter. Profiling the Role of Deacylation- Reacylation in the Lymphatic Transport of a Triglyceride-Mimetic Prodrug. Pharm. Research, 32 (2015), 1830-1844

9. NL Trevaskis, L Hu, S Caliph, S Han, CJH Porter. The mesenteric lymph duct cannulated rat model: Application to the assessment of intestinal lymphatic drug transport. J. Visualized Experiments, 97 (2015), doi: 10.3791/52389

10. S Han, T Quach, L Hu, A Wahab, WN Charman, VJ Stella, NL Trevaskis, JS Simpson, CJH Porter. Targeted delivery of a model immunomodulator to the lymphatic system: Comparison of alkyl ester versus triglyceride mimetic lipid prodrug strategies. J. Control. Release, 177 (2014), 1-10 (Cover Article)

Sifei Han, Associate Professor

Luojuan Hu, Associate Professor

Ph.D. student: Jiazhi Zhang (starting 2022）

Master students: Xiaohua Li (starting 2022）, Xiaoxuan Fei（starting 2022）, Junyi Pei (starting 2023), Yinyin Yuan (starting 2023), Haodong Chen (starting 2023)

Undergraduate Internship student: Xinyue Zhu (2023)