The group of Tobias Gessler has vast expertise in the development of aerosol therapies for different lung diseases, comprising the technical and physical aspects of aerosol delivery to the respiratory tract as well as the design and physico-chemical characterization of micro- and nanoparticulate pharmaceutical formulations of novel compounds for aerosol application. Close cooperation with pharmaceutical companies supports the transfer of promising inhaled drug candidates from preclinical approaches into the clinical arena. For the treatment of nearly all lung diseases inhalation offers substantial advances compared to the oral or intravenous mode of administration. Topical delivery of drugs via the inhalative route provides pulmonary and intrapulmonary selectivity necessitating drastically reduced doses for the desired therapeutic effects. In fact, side-effects of highly effective drugs following systemic administration often limit their use in clinical practice.
A special focus of this translational research is aerosol therapy of pulmonary vascular diseases, comprising investigations of inhaled prostanoids, phosphodiesterase inhibitors and anti-proliferative compounds such as imatinib and paclitaxel.
Based on this background the group provides research facilities in aerosol and nanomedical technologies:
Aerosol generation and aerosol characterization
An important part of this work deals with the technical aspects of aerosol delivery to the respiratory tract, including the design of modern nebulizers and inhalers as well as characterization of aerosol parameters for optimal pulmonary deposition of inhaled medicines:
- all kind of available nebulizers and soft mist inhalers, redesign and improvements of devices
- laser diffraction, gravimetry, cascade impactors, sedimentation chamber
Design and characterization of micro- and nanoparticulate pharmaceutical formulations for aerosol application
Encaspsulation of drugs in polymeric biodegradable micro- or nanoparticles or in liposomes represents an effective strategy to transfer promising compounds form “bench to bedside”. Most of the novel compounds investigated in the preclinical approaches are poorly soluble in solutes and show reduced stability against conventional methods of nebulization:
- production of liposomes as well as micro- and nanoparticles
- solvent displacement methods, nano-precipitation methods, spray drying, high pressure homogenization
- freeze drying, lyophilization
- size and polydispersity index by dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis
- ζ-potential by laser doppler anemometry
- osmolarity, conductivity, viscosity, pH
- drug load, drug load capacity and recovery by HPLC, drug release
- surface properties by pulsating bubble surfactometer and bubble shape tensiometer
- nebulization of particle formulations and reassessment of their physico-chemical properties
Contact:
PD Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Tobias Gessler, Dipl.-Phys.
Head of Aerosol Research and Development
Department of Internal Medicine
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen
Klinikstr. 33
D-35392 Giessen
University of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC)
Institute of Lung Health (ILH)
ILH platform leader Aerosol Technologies and Drug Delivery
Tel: +49 (0) 641 985 56756
Fax: +49 (0) 641 985 42489
Email: tobias.gessler@innere.med.uni-giessen.de
Ten most important Publications:
- Gessler T, Seeger W, Dalla-Bona A. Inhaled imatinib for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. WO002023147868A1, Anmeldedatum 04.02.2022, Veröfffentlichungsdatum 10.08.2023
- Gessler T, Seeger W. Inhaled iloprost for treatment as needed in pulmonary hypertension. WO002023036432A1, Anmeldedatum 10.09.2021, Veröfffentlichungsdatum 16.03.2023
- Dalla-Bona A, Gessler T, Savai R, Pullamsetti Savai S, Schermuly R, Seeger W. Invention relating to nanoparticles containing taxanes for administration by inhalation. WO002019048424A1, Anmeldedatum 04.09.2018, Veröfffentlichungsdatum 14.03.2023
- Gessler T. Inhalation of repurposed drugs to treat pulmonary hypertension. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2018 Aug; 133:34-44
- Gessler T, Ghofrani HA, Held M, Klose H, Leuchte H, Olschewski H, Rosenkranz S, Fels L, Li N, Ren D, Kaiser A, Schultze-Mosgau MH, Müllinger B, Rohde B, Seeger W. The safety and pharmacokinetics of rapid iloprost aerosol delivery via the BREELIB nebulizer in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulm Circ. 2017 Apr-Jun;7(2):505-513
- Beck-Broichsitter M, Ruppert C, Schmehl T, Guenther A, Betz T, Bakowsky U, Seeger W, Kissel T, Gessler T. Biophysical investigation of pulmonary surfactant surface properties upon contact with polymeric nanoparticles in vitro. Nanomedicine. 2011 Jun;7(3):341-50
- Gessler T, Schmehl T, Hoeper MM, Rose F, Ghofrani HA, Olschewski H, Grimminger F, Seeger W. Ultrasonic versus jet nebulization of iloprost in severe pulmonary hypertension. Eur Respir J. 2001 Jan;17(1):14-9
- Beck-Broichsitter M, Stoisiek K, Bohr A, Aragão-Santiago L, Gessler T, Seeger W, Kissel T. Potential of the isolated lung technique for the examination of sildenafil absorption from lung-delivered poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles. J Control Release. 2016 Feb 3;226:15-20
- Voswinckel R, Enke B, Reichenberger F, Kohstall M, Kreckel A, Krick S, Gall H, Gessler T, Schmehl T, Ghofrani HA, Schermuly RT, Grimminger F, Rubin LJ, Seeger W, Olschewski H. Favorable effects of inhaled treprostinil in severe pulmonary hypertension: results from randomized controlled pilot studies. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Oct 17;48(8):1672-81
- Herold S, Hoegner K, Vadász I, Gessler T, Wilhelm J, Mayer K, Morty RE, Walmrath HD, Seeger W, Loh-meyer J. Inhaled granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor as treatment of pneumonia-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014 Mar 1;189(5):609-11
Group Members
Pharmacist
Alexandra Dall-Bona
Technical Assistant
Helene Grosse
