Kathryn Uhrich

Kathryn Uhrich
Kathryn Uhrich, April 2008
Born	1965
Nationality	United States
Fields	cardiology
Institutions	Rutgers University, Polymerix Corporation.
Education	Grand Forks Central High School
Alma mater	University of North Dakota, Cornell University
Known for	prevention of biofilm formation

Kathryn Uhrich (born 1965) is Dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, at The University of California, Riverside, and founder of Polymerix Corporation.

Her research mainly focuses on biodegradable polymers for use in dental and medical applications. These polymers consist of esters, amides and anhydrides, all of which are susceptible to hydrolysis, thus ensuring the breakdown of the polymer in the body’s watery milieu.

The oldest version of aspirin came from Hippocrates in the fifth century BC, while the latest version, PolyAspirin, comes from Uhrich's lab at Rutgers University. Polyaspirine consists of anhydrides and esters that hydrolytically degrade into the active ingredient in aspirin (salicylic acid). Her research was highlighted in "Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug" by Diarmuid Jeffreys. Although the polymer was originally designed for biodegradable sutures, PolyAspirin is now undergoing clinical trials as a material for a new type of cardiac stent. This biodegradable stent controls the inflammation effects occurring after angioplasty, called restenosis and disappears when no longer needed.

Uhrich has collaborated with Professor Michael Tchikindas in the Rutgers Food Science department to investigate PolyAspirin and other plant-based polymers as a method for prevention of biofilm formation by microbes such as E. coli and Salmonella in food.

In 1997, Uhrich first patented PolyAspirin. All of Uhrich's inventions were originally licensed to Polymerix Corporation in 2000, to develop biodegradable polymerized drugs, and now being licensed through Rutgers. The technology includes more efficient delivery to targeted areas such as orthopedic implants, coronary stents and arthritic joints. Uhrich has at least 16 patents in the US and 160 patent applications pending worldwide, all of which are coordinated by Rutgers OCLTT.

Uhrich’s second research line is on polymeric micelles. Like soap, these polymers have a hydrophilic ‘head’ and a hydrophobic ‘tail’. These molecules form a spherical particle in which you can pack a hydrophobic drug molecule. Uhrich’s research group investigates two general classes of nanoscale polymeric micelles: amphiphilic star-like macromolecules (ASMs) and amphiphilic scorpion-like macromolecules (AScMs); both systems facilitate drug transport. ASMs behave as unimolecular micelles, where four polymer particles are covalently bound. AScMs consist of part of the star like macromolecules, and must first aggregate to form micellar structures. Because AScMs are easier to synthesize and have similar properties, the polymers are undergoing further proof of principle research in gene delivery of siRNA and plasmid DNA with Professor Charlie Roth.