Mailing address:
University of Colorado School of Pharmacy
Mail Stop C238
12850 E. Montview Blvd. V20-4120
Aurora, CO 80045
Office Location:
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (V20)
Fourth Floor
Room 4120
Lab Location:
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (V20)
Fourth Floor
Room 4440A
Contact:
Affiliations:
- Member, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- Member, University of Colorado Cancer Center
Training and Education:
- BS, Oregon State University (Biology)
- MA, PhD, University of California at Davis (Zoology)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Colorado Denver.
Research Interest:
My laboratory focuses on the development of synthetic delivery systems for use in nucleic acids-based therapies (e.g., gene, siRNA, antisense, aptamers). Our most recent work utilizes an unconventional approach toward developing lipid-based delivery systems that possess prolonged circulation lifetimes and target tumors. Studies on our delivery systems include biophysical characterization, pharmaceutical optimization, cell culture assessment, and ultimately testing in animal models.
In addition, our research focuses on the stability of delivery systems during physical stresses, e.g., freezing and drying. The goal of this research is to develop formulations for therapeutic use that will be stable on a pharmaceutically-relevant timescale (~ 2 years). While many of our previous studies have involved acute stresses, our current stability work focuses on prolonged storage of polynucleotides and delivery systems in the dried state.
As part of this work, we are attempting to determine the factors responsible for structural and chemical degradation, and identify strategies for maintaining physico-chemical characteristics and biological activity during prolonged storage. These projects are ultimately aimed at harnessing the enormous potential of nucleic acid-based therapeutics by developing better methods for delivery and formulation. Our laboratory is also conducting traditional pharmaceutical research involving the formulation and delivery of small molecule therapeutics. This latter research is translational in nature, and draws on the clinical expertise of faculty on campus to develop treatments for many common diseases (e.g., schizophrenia, epilepsy, melanoma).
Teaching:
- Professional Program: Science Foundations I, pharmaceutics
- Graduate Program: Membrane Dynamics, Fundamentals of Drug Delivery, Pharmacogenetics
Representative Publications:
- Abrams, DJ, Zheng, L, Choo, KS, Yang, JJ, Wei, W, Anchordoquy, TJ, Zawia, NH, Stevens, KE. An Initial Animal Proof-of-Concept Study for Central Administration of Clozapine to Schizophrenia Patients. Schizophrenia Research, Jan 4, Epub (2008).
- Zhang, Y, Bradshaw-Pierce, EL, DeLille, A, Gustafson, DL, and Anchordoquy, TJ. In vivo comparative study of Lipid/DNA complexes with different in vitro serum stability: effects on biodistribution and tumor accumulation. J. Pharm. Sci., 97: 237-50 (2008).
- Molina, MdC and Anchordoquy, TJ. Metal Contaminants Promote Degradation of Lipid/DNA Complexes during Lyophilization. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta Biomembranes 1768(3): 669-77 (2007).
- Lentz, YK, Anchordoquy, TJ, and Lengsfeld CS. Rationale for the Selection of an Aerosol Delivery System for Gene Delivery. Journal of Aerosol Medicine 19 (3): 372-384 (2006)
- Patel, MM and Anchordoquy, TJ. Ability of Spermine to Differentiate between DNA Sequences – Preferential Stabilization of A-Tracts. Biophysical Chemistry 122: 5-15 (2006).