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Minimally Invasive Drug Delivery Platform for the Effective Treatment of Tendon Injury

Award Number: R21AR087074
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/22/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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Minimally Invasive Drug Delivery Platform for the Effective Treatment of Tendon Injury - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Tendon and ligament injuries are among the most common and devastating orthopedic conditions in the United States. Many affected patients suffer from long-term pain and reduced function. These unsatisfactory outcomes result primarily from an imbalanced tissue response to injury with excessive and/or sustained inflammation and insufficient tissue regeneration. Although several cell and growth factor-based therapies have been reported to reduce inflammation or to promote tenogenesis, combined application of these therapies shows modest effects on tendon healing. This is mainly due to the lack of a precise drug delivery system to provide sufficient therapeutics at the injury site within the desired treatment window. Moreover, as many growth factors may exaggerate inflammation, simultaneous administration of growth factors with anti-inflammatory therapies compromises the effectiveness of these treatments. Thus, the goal of this study is to improve tendon healing through the development of a new drug delivery platform to provide sufficient therapeutics at the injury site in a temporally controlled manner. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are tendon-targeting nanocarriers capable of delivering diverse active molecules to the tendon. We recently developed a dissolvable microneedle (DMN) patch for intradermal delivery of small molecule drugs encapsulated by ASC EVs. Because the DMN extends only to the nerve-free upper dermis, application of the DMN patch is minimally invasive and can be used to deliver different therapeutics during different stages of tendon healing, thus potentially overcoming current translational challenges for treating tendon injuries. In this proposal, we will explore the possibility by (i) developing tendon-targeting formulations with ASC EVs and small molecule drugs with anti-inflammatory and pro-tenogenic properties, (ii) optimizing and characterizing intradermal DMN patches for minimally invasive treatment of tendon injuries, and (iii) determining the effectiveness of sequential administration of anti-inflammatory and pro-tenogenic small molecules through tendon-targeting DMN patches for tendon injuries. If successful, the proposed studies, by providing an effective and non-surgical option for treating tendon injuries, will benefit many patients suffering from tendon injuries and related disorders.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $363,481 )
2026	2026	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 BROOKINGS DR	SAINT LOUIS	MO	63130	SAINT LOUIS	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	1	9/17/2026	NEW	$363,481
														Subtotal = $363,481

Grand Total All Awards = $363,481

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Minimally Invasive Drug Delivery Platform for the Effective Treatment of Tendon Injury

Award Number: R21AR087074

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/22/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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