Due to its potential impact, nanotechnology has become an important part of research. One of the greatest advances made in nanoscience is nanoparticles which are currently being considered for drug delivery and for cancer treatment modality. This project is focused on characterizing PLGA (poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)) nanoparticles for two different applications; systemic and local distribution.

For the systemic application, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is the drug encapsulated in the nanoparticle. In order to move these nanoparticles along the body, their core is surrounded by polymer with Fe2O3 particles which makes them magnetic. The tPA destroys blood clots which are formed due to several diseases, especially heart attacks and strokes. Size distribution and surface charge were determined and the release of the drug was quantified from the nanoparticles in order to know if they could be used for therapeutic treatment.

For the local delivery application, size distributions were obtained using DLS (Dynamic light scattering) from a Zeta plus instrument. The 40 – 100 nm particles were encapsulated with TMZ (Temozolomide), a drug used to treat different types of brain tumor in adults. The nanoparticles were introduced in rat's brains using Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) and it was demonstrated that the particles were distributed uniformly along the brain. Future studies suggest cancer cell experiments using nanoparticles for drug delivery.