PolySciTech: Akina, Inc.

06/04/2026

PLA-NHS from PolySciTech used in development of PLA-hyaluronate for brain cancer therapy
Brain cancer remains difficult to treat due to problems with drug delivery. Researchers at Clemson University used PLA-NHS (cat # AI174 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AI174 ) to conjugate this polymer to amine-modified hyaluronic acid. This co-polymer was used for delivery of doxorubicin to glioblastoma cells. This research holds promise to provide for treatment of brain cancer in the future. Read more: Chaudhri, Apoorvi, Molli Garifo, Pranavi Thatavarthi, Torrick Fletcher Jr, and Jessica Larsen. "Hyaluronic acid-b-polylactic acid polymersomes facilitate CD44-mediated delivery of doxorubicin to glioblastoma in vitro." bioRxiv (2026): 2026-05. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.26.727934.abstract
“Glioblastoma represents a highly aggressive brain tumor with low survival and no response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Temozolomide, the current standard of care chemotherapy, improves patient survival by only about 6 months because of several resistance mechanisms, including unmethylated MGMT, which enables repair of chemotherapy-induced DNA damage. Thus, additional treatments strategies are necessary to investigate efficient responses towards glioblastoma. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic agent that is independent of MGMT methylation and instead works through inhibition of topoisomerase (TOPO) II, an enzyme necessary for DNA replication of the tumor. The inability of doxorubicin to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) precludes its use in glioblastoma. Polymersome nanoparticles have the potential to transport agents across the BBB. Here, we develop hyaluronic acid-b-polylactic acid (HA-PLA) polymeric nanoparticles called polymersomes, encapsulate them with DOX and investigate the ability of our system to induce apoptosis in a human glioblastoma cell line. The HA-PLA polymersomes show specificity and receptor-mediated endocytosis towards CD44-positive U87 glioblastoma cells due to the natural affinity of HA (hyaluronic acid) to CD44. Our HLA-PLA-DOX system promotes apoptosis of glioblastoma through inhibition of topoisomerase (TOPO) II. Thus, our system could allow tumor specificity through HA-CD44 affinity and slow drug release through pH sensitivity of PLA in the acidic tumor microenvironment.”
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Deliver your active pharmaceutical with quick-dissolving, biodegradable thermogel consisting of poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol). Initially developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratories and further refined by a collaboration between Vivos, Inc. and Akina, Inc. The graft PLGA-g-PE...

05/28/2026

PLGA from PolySciTech used in development of nanoparticle based osteoarthritis treatment
Researchers at Tufts University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Brookhaven National Laboratory used PLGA (Cat # AP023 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AP023 ) from PolySciTech division of Akina, Inc. to develop nanoparticles for treating osteoarthritis. This research holds promise to provide therapy for this debilitating disease. Read more: Dewani, Mahima, Anjali Rajesh Mamidwar, Miraj Rawal, Nutan Bhingaradiya, Jingshu Liu, Nishkal Pisal, Sihan Liu et al. "A disease-severity-responsive nanoparticle enables potent ghrelin messenger RNA therapy in osteoarthritis." Nature Nanotechnology (2026): 1-12. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-02101-0

“Intra-articular RNA therapeutics have shown promise in osteoarthritis (OA); however, maximizing their efficacy requires targeted delivery to degenerating cartilage within focal lesions. As OA progresses, cartilage degeneration worsens, necessitating disease-responsive targeting with enhanced delivery in advanced stages. Here we develop an anionic nanoparticle (NP) strategy for targeting glycosaminoglycan loss, a hallmark of OA’s progression that reduces cartilage’s negative charge. These NPs selectively diffuse and accumulate into matrix regions inversely correlated with glycosaminoglycan content owing to reduced electrostatic repulsion, a strategy we term ‘matrix inverse targeting’ (MINT). In a mouse model of OA, intra-articular delivery of luciferase messenger RNA-loaded MINT NPs demonstrated disease-severity-responsive expression. Using this strategy, we delivered ghrelin mRNA, as ghrelin has shown chondroprotection properties previously. Ghrelin mRNA-loaded MINT NPs reduced cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone thickening and nociceptive pain. Our findings highlight the potential of ghrelin mRNA delivery as a disease-modifying therapy for OA and the platform’s potential for lesion-targeted RNA delivery responsive to disease severity.”

Nanoparticles sensing glycosaminoglycan loss in osteoarthritis enable disease-severity-responsive delivery of ghrelin messenger RNA to cartilage lesions, reducing cartilage damage, bone thickening and pain in animal models.

05/28/2026

Fluorescent PLGA-Rhodamine from PolySciTech used in development of siRNA loaded nanoparticles
siRNA holds promise to provide for selective shut-off genes and can be used to treat a variety of disease states. Despite this, delivery of this class of molecules remains a challenge. Researchers at University of Naples Federico II and Tel Aviv University used PLGA-Rhodamine (cat # AV011 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AV011 ) from PolySciTech division of Akina, Inc. as part of development of a nanoparticle delivery system for siRNA. This research holds promise to unlock the usage of this class of pharmaceutics. Read more: Longobardi, Giuseppe, Pini Shekhter, Claudia Conte, Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, and Fabiana Qu***ia. "Double-coated PLGA nanoparticles with hierarchical surface architecture for CD44-targeted siRNA delivery." Drug Delivery and Translational Research (2026): 1-16. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13346-026-02115-8
“Efficient delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) remains a materials challenge because it requires nanocarriers that stabilize polyanionic cargo, support cellular interactions, and enable cytosolic delivery. Although poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are used due to biocompatibility, biodegradability, and regulatory acceptance, siRNA delivery with PLGA requires interfacial engineering to meet these constraints. Here, a modular double-coated PLGA NP platform (dcNPs2.0) is developed and optimized for siRNA complexation, surface functionalization, and scalable manufacturing. The system comprises a PLGA core coated with a polyethyleneimine (PEI) interlayer to mediate siRNA binding, followed by a hyaluronic acid (HA) outer layer, which improves colloidal stability and promotes CD44-mediated uptake. Process optimization, including transition from batch nanoprecipitation to microfluidic fabrication, provides high yield, excellent reproducibility, narrow size distributions, and increased siRNA loading. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms hierarchical multilayer assembly. The optimized dcNPs2.0 formulation exhibited robust physicochemical stability during storage, in serum-containing media, and following lyophilization with appropriate cryoprotection. Functional evaluation of dcNPs2.0 demonstrated efficient HA-mediated cellular uptake and effective silencing following siRNA delivery in both two-dimensional monolayers and three-dimensional spheroids of MDA-MB-231 cells. Overall, this work establishes a scalable, rationally engineered PLGA nanoplatform that integrates extracellular targeting with intracellular delivery requirements for siRNA therapeutic applications. Keywords: PLGA nanoparticles, Surface engineering, siRNA delivery, CD44-mediated targeting, 3D models”

Efficient delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) remains a materials challenge because it requires nanocarriers that stabilize polyanionic cargo, support cellular interactions, and enable cytosolic delivery. Although poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are used due to biocomp...

05/28/2026

PLGA from PolySciTech used in development of Improved broad-spectrum influenza A vaccine
Researchers at Indian Institute of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nitte University, and Mynvax Private Limited used PLGA (Cat # AP041 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AP041 ) from PolySciTech division of Akina, Inc. as part of development of a particle delivery-adjuvent system for influenza A vaccine. This research holds promise to prevent common causes of flu. Read more: Yadav, Rajesh T., Mansi Sharma, Santhosh K. Nagaraj, Rohan Narayan, Abinaya Kaliappan, Uma Shanmugasundaram, Rahul Chavan et al. "Broad protection against Influenza A Viruses via an adjuvant-free mucosal microparticle vaccine with conserved CD8/CD4 bispecific peptides." bioRxiv (2026): 2026-03. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.29.715080.abstract
“Influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause substantial global morbidity and mortality and are responsible for most known viral pandemics. Their rapid antigenic evolution enables escape from natural and vaccine-induced immunity, requiring annual vaccine reformulation, which offers limited breadth and variable effectiveness. Although a universal influenza vaccine remains a critical objective, most strategies have focused on conserved viral glycoproteins to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies, with comparatively fewer efforts targeting conserved T cell antigens to achieve cross-subtype protection. Current T cell-based approaches often rely on individual CD8+ epitopes, which are limited by peptide instability, delivery constraints, and dependence on adjuvants. Here, we demonstrate a T cell-focused vaccine strategy that uses evolutionary consensus of IAV M1 and NP from the H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes to predict, map, and screen conserved regions enriched with multiple CD8+ and CD4+ epitopes. We selected the top-performing peptides from immunogenicity screening. We encapsulated them in polylactic-co-glycolic acid microparticles (PLGA-MPs) engineered for selective uptake by APCs and pH-dependent sustained release. Intranasal delivery of this vaccine formulation targeted the primary site of infection and induced robust mucosal immunity without the need for conventional adjuvants. Both human and murine influenza-experienced T cells mounted potent recall responses to the vaccine. In mice, immunization elicited strong CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses and conferred broad protection against homologous H1N1 and H3N2 as well as heterologous H5N1 IAV subtypes. These findings collectively establish a mucosal, T cell-based vaccine platform that is adjuvant-free and capable of providing broad protection against IAV and other viruses with pandemic potential.”

05/19/2026

PLGA-Cysteine from PolySciTech used in development of photoresponsive nanocarriers for tuberculosis treatment
Researchers at University of São Paulo used PLGA-cysteine (cat # AI025 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AI025 ) in development of rifampicin loaded and gold-nanorods containing particles for photoresponsive particles to deliver rifampicin directly to the lungs as part of tuberculosis therapy. This research holds promise to provide treatment of this lethal disease. Read more: de Barros Galvani, Pietra, Gabriela Maria Costa Ferreira, Valéria Maria de Oliveira Cardoso, Ualter Guilherme Cipriano, Angélica Maria Mazuera Zapata, Julia Mendonça Margatho, Paula Maria Pincela Lins et al. "Photoresponsive Nanocarriers for Potentiating Tuberculosis Therapy." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2026). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11095-026-04110-7
“Drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) remain major challenges to effective treatment. Given that TB arises from complex bacterial survival mechanisms, addressing this multifactorial disease requires innovative and combinatorial therapeutic approaches. Although various strategies have been employed to overcome these issues, concerns regarding therapeutic efficacy persist due to the prolonged treatment duration and high toxicity. Here, we developed photoresponsive nanocarriers coencapsulating isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF), with or without gold nanorods (AuNRs), as a multifunctional platform for laser-assisted TB therapy. AuNRs were synthesized and functionalized with PLGA-SH to enable photothermal activation and integration into polymeric carriers. The resulting systems exhibited an average size of approximately 180 nm, zeta potentials around −28 mV, particle concentrations on the order of 1011 particles mL–1, as measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis, and average encapsulation efficiencies of 90% for both drugs. In vitro, photoactivated nanocarriers significantly reduced Mycobacterium tuberculosis burden in murine alveolar epithelial (MLE-15) cells and macrophages (BMDMs), as well as in human macrophages (THP-1), without inducing cytotoxicity. TB preclinical models demonstrated that laser-triggered nanocarriers significantly reduced pulmonary bacterial load in infected mice compared with untreated groups, even at low doses. These findings demonstrate that the formulation’s therapeutic efficacy depends on photothermal activation and support its potential as an adjuvant strategy for precision, light-assisted TB treatment, thereby reducing systemic exposure and minimizing toxicity.”
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05/19/2026

PLGA-histidine and PLGA-FPI749 from PolySciTech used in development of nanoparticle delivery of nivolumab and galunisertib for lung cancer therapy
Researchers at Hacettepe University PLGA-histidine (cat # AI098 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AI098 ) and PLGA-FPI749 (cat # AV006 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AV006 ) to develop nanoparticles for the co-delivery of nivolumab and galunisertib for non-small cell lung cancer treatment. This research holds promise to provide for improved cancer therapies in the future. Read more: Kaplan, Meryem, Ece Tavukcuoglu, Suleyman Can Ozturk, Sema Çalış, Güneş ESENDAĞLI, and Kivilcim Ozturk. "Codelivery of Nivolumab and Galunisertib by EGFR-Targeted Spherical Polymeric Nanoparticles for Effective Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer." Available at SSRN 6748605. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6748605
“The incidence of cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide, with more than 29 million people expected to be diagnosed by 2040. Despite advancements in cancer therapies, current immunotherapeutic approaches face challenges such as limited efficacy and off-target effects. To address these challenges, this study focuses on enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapeutics in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through combination with a TGF- β inhibitor. A novel nanosystem was developed by co-loading galunisertib, a TGF-β inhibitor, and nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, into spherical nanoparticles composed of PLGA derivatives conjugated with anti-EGFR for targeted delivery. In vitro characterization studies, including the nanoparticle size, zeta potential, morphology, drug release, toxicity evaluation in healthy and tumor cells, and T cell immune responses, demonstrated promising results. Based on these findings, in vivo studies were conducted on humanized mice that developed heterotopic xenograft tumors. In the concept of in vivo studies, biodistribution studies revealed that antibody-conjugated nanoparticles exhibited higher tumor accumulation compared to the control group. In vivo results further showed that co-drug loaded nanoparticles targeted to the tumor were more effective in reducing tumor size compared to non-targeted nanoparticles, achieving efficacy comparable to the combination of free drug and targeting ligand.”
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05/19/2026

PLGA-Rhodamine from PolySciTech used for development of inhalable siRNA therapy for respiratory therapy
Researchers at University of Napoli Federico II, Berlin Institute of Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, University of Milano, and University of British Columbia used PLGA-Rhodamine B (cat # AV011 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AV011 ) from PolySciTech : Akina, Inc. (www.PolySciTech.com) combined with ionizable lipids to form nanoparticles for siRNA delivery through inhaled formulations. This research holds promise to improve respiratory therapy. Read more: Brusco, Susy, Ersilia Villano, Teresa Silvestri, Amar J. Azad, Muge Molbay, Ivana d'Angelo, Agnese Miro et al. "Lipid@ polymer hybrid nanoparticles for efficient siRNA transport across the lung barriers: Mechanistic insights into the role of Ionizable lipids." Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2026): 140683. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002197972600860X
“Building on growing evidence that ionizable lipids improve RNA delivery, in this work, we developed ionizable lipid/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) hybrid nanoparticles (iLipid@PLGA hNPs), consisting in a PLGA core modified at surface with either 1,2-dioleoyloxy-3-dimethylaminopropane (DODMA), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DODAP), or the branched-tail proprietary amino lipid ALC0315. iLipid@PLGA hNPs were engineered to meet key requirements for inhalation. Thorough physicochemical characterization revealed how the choice of ionizable lipid influences pH responsiveness, surface composition, and architecture of iLipid@PLGA hNPs. In vitro studies demonstrated effective siRNA encapsulation, adjustable release kinetics, and poor interactions with mucus components, as assessed by combined UV–Vis, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Small Angle X-ray Scattering analyses. Confocal microscopy analysis of A549 cells transfected with iLipid@PLGA hNPs showed reduced colocalization of AlexaFluor647-labeled siRNA with lysosomes over time, suggesting enhanced endosomal escape in the case of DODMA@PLGA hNPs. Functional validation using GAPDH-targeting siRNA (siGAPDH) confirmed cellular uptake and gene silencing in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBEs) cells, confirming the superior performance of DODMA@PLGA hNPs. Finally, representative fluorescently labeled DODMA@PLGA hNPs successfully diffused across a 3D air–liquid interface (ALI) cell model, simulating the human bronchial epithelial barrier. These findings highlight the successful integration of ionizable lipids into polymeric nanoparticles, establishing iLipid@PLGA hNPs as versatile and efficient carriers for siRNA therapeutics. This breakthrough supports their continued development in respiratory nanomedicine and in the local treatment of lung diseases.”
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05/19/2026

Polylactide from PolySciTech used in organic thin-film semiconductor development for solar energy applications
Organic material based electronics holds promise to provide for lighter weight, higher efficiency solar cells for electrical generation. Researchers at University of Rome La Sapienza, University of Camerino (Italy), Université d’Orléans (France), Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), and University of Siegen (Germany) utilized two poly(lactide)s (Cat # AP086 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AP086 AP072 https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AP072 ) from PolySciTech : Akina, Inc. (www.PolySciTech.com) along with poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and gold nanoparticles to generate a controlled nano-domain semiconductor based on the natural phase-separation behavior between the PLA and P3HT. This research holds promise to provide for lighter, more efficient solar cells/panels. Read more: Salamone, Tommaso A., Beatrice Pennacchi, Martina Mercurio, Sara Cerra, Carla Sappino, Alessandra Del Giudice, Roberto Matassa et al. "Interface-Driven Orientation and Confinement in Poly (3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl)/Polylactic Acid/Gold Nanoparticle Composite Films for Enhanced Charge Transport." ACS Applied Nano Materials (2026). https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsanm.6c00790

“Thin films made of functional nanophases based on the semiconducting polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and the insulating hydrophilic polymer polylactic acid (PLA), combined with functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), were investigated. Exploiting phase separation phenomena between the polymers, nanostructured morphologies were obtained, where P3HT was either confined in isolated domains or formed continuous phases, depending on the experimental conditions. Following a bottom-up synthesis of thiol-functionalized AuNPs, interconnected network systems were obtained and spin-coated together with the polymeric materials to obtain thin films of AuNPs-embedded polymeric nanophases. Combining strategies from chemistry and materials science, i.e., bottom-up synthesis of hydrophobic AuNPs and P3HT/PLA nanophase confinement, it was possible to fine-tune the nanophase confinement, enhance transport properties, and modify the orientation of the P3HT chains through interfacially driven self-assembly. The structure–property relations of the nanomaterials were investigated, morphologically with AFM and morphostructurally with synchrotron radiation-induced GIWAXS studies, evidencing that the addition of AuNPs in the blend influences the backbone orientation of P3HT, switching it from a mixed orientation to a prevalently face-on one. Electrical measurements were correlated with morphological features to assess the impact of nanoconfinement and nanoparticle inclusion on transport properties, finding that AuNPs-induced reorientation leads to a 10-fold enhancement in the blend’s electrical conductivity.”

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05/05/2026

PEG-PCL from PolySciTech used in development of nerve regeneration therapy for paralysis treatment. After nerve injury, due to disease or trauma, skeletal muscles undergo denervation atrophy which prevents the possibility for recovery from paralysis. There is no treatment for this atrophy currently. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University used mPEG-PCL (AK128, https://akinainc.com/polyscitech/products/polyvivo/index.php?highlight=AK128 ) from PolySciTech PolySciTech : Akina, Inc. (www.PolySciTech.com) to develop a nanofiber hydrogel composite which delivers myoblast cells along with growth factors to encourage nerve tissue regeneration. This was tested in rat model and showed promise to restore strength and mobility. This research holds promise to provide for treatment of nerve-tissue damage based paralysis. Read more: Dias, Shaquielle, William Padovano, Chenhu Qiu, Thomas Harris, Rachana Suresh, Erica Lee, Eszter Mihaly et al. "Myoblast Therapy Ameliorates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy Resulting From Chronic Denervation." Muscle & Nerve (2026). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mus.70254

04/24/2026

Open Position at Akina, Inc.: Business Assistant. See more here:

Responsibilities: Routine office work including processing orders, paying bills, receiving packages, taking calls, providing quotes/invoices to customers, tracking income/expenses, and other administrative tasks as needed. Work is to be performed part-time, on site at Akina’s location in West Lafa...