Date of Award

2026

Degree Name

Pharmaceutical Sciences

College

School of Pharmacy

Type of Degree

M.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Cynthia Jones

Second Advisor

Dr. Eric Blough

Third Advisor

Dr. Timothy Long

Abstract

Chronic wounds, particularly in diabetic patients, remain a significant clinical challenge due to the complex interaction of persistent infection, chronic inflammation, and impaired cellular regeneration. Conventional drug therapies often fail to achieve effective treatment due to rapid drug degradation, poor targeting, and localized toxicity. This study explores a nanotechnology-based approach by developing and evaluating 5-FU loaded AgNP (AgNP–5FU) as a controlled drug delivery system. AgNP (AgNP) were synthesized and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, particle size, and zeta potential analysis, while Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis suggested possible interaction between 5-FU and the nanoparticle surface. Biological evaluation using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on human dermal fibroblast cells (HDF-a) showed that AgNP-5FU formulations demonstrated reduced cytotoxicity in HDF-a cells compared to free 5-FU in vitro. These findings suggest that AgNP– 5FUs warrant further investigation in wound healing models as potential topical drug delivery platforms.

Subject(s)

Pharmaceutical chemistry.

Drugs -- Research.

Wound healing.

Nanoparticles.

Wounds and injuries -- Treatment.

Drug delivery systems.

Synthetic drugs.

Scanning electron microscopy.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Biological evaluation.

Bromides.

Cells.

Fluorouracil.

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