Changes in shape and 'squishiness' can help drug-containing microcapsules reach tumors

University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher Eugenia Kharlampieva, Ph.D., makes polymer microcapsules meant to carry cancer drugs to the site of a tumor. Working in the UAB Department of Chemistry at the intersection of polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and biomedical science, she is creating novel "smart" particles that will provide controlled delivery for therapeutic drugs. Specifically, she has found that changes in shapes or elasticity of these tiny carriers greatly influence their ability