Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch
Born (1965-12-06) 6 December 1965 (age 59)
Klagenfurt, Austria
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
Known forThiomers, thiolated cyclodextrins, peptide drug delivery, multifunctional polymers, charge-converting nanocarriers, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems
AwardsEurand Award (2000), Phoenix Science Award for Pharmacy (2005), Houska Award (2007), Austrian Nano Award (2008), Ernst Brandl Award (2015), Gattefossé North America Award (2017), Phoenix Science Award for Pharmacy (2022), Science Award of Tyrol (2023)
Scientific career
FieldsPharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery, Nanotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Tissue Engineering
InstitutionsUniversity of Innsbruck, Institute of Pharmacy

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch (born in Klagenfurt, December 6, 1965) is an Austrian scientist and entrepreneur, who is Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology in the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Innsbruck.

His research centers on the areas of drug delivery, dosage forms, controlled release, bionanotechnology, polymer engineering and tissue engineering. He is the inventor of several technologies, such as thiolated polymers, [1][2] for which he coined the name thiomers in 2000,[3] and phosphatase triggered charge-converting nanoparticles for mucosal drug delivery.[4]

Bernkop-Schnürch has been on the scientific advisory board of the Nicotine Science Center[5] of Denmark since 2014. From 2016 to 2018, he served as a member of the Scientific Committee[6] of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) of the European Union in Brussels, giving advice on scientific priorities to be included in the Strategic Research Agenda for Horizon 2020.

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch is the founder of Thiomatrix Forschungs- und Beratungs GmbH, Mucobiomer Biotechnologische Forschungs- und Entwicklungs GmbH (now part of the Croma-Pharma GmbH) and Green River Polymers Forschungs und Entwicklungs GmbH. He has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher of the Institute for Scientific Information[7] since 2022.

Biography

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch comes from an Austrian apothecary family. He was educated in pharmacy and in microbiology and genetics at the University of Vienna, finishing his doctorate in 1994. From 1994 to 1999, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Pharmacy, University of Vienna. In 1999, he applied to qualify as a professor by receiving the "venia docendi" in pharmaceutical technology. Since 2003, he has held the chair in pharmaceutical technology at the University of Innsbruck, heading the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology.[8] From 2006 to 2013, he served as dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy.[9] In 2022, he was a visiting professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro. He has been a member of the senate of the University of Innsbruck since 2021.

Research

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch is known for his research on drug delivery systems, multifunctional polymers, and tissue engineering. He invented and pioneered thiolated polymers – thiomers – as a new generation of bio- and mucoadhesive polymers forming disulfide bonds with cysteine-rich subdomains of endogenous proteins, such as mucus glycoproteins or keratins.[1][2] Various medicines based on thiomers have already successfully passed clinical trials[10][11] and first products for purposes such as treatment of dry eye syndrome have already reached the global pharmaceutical market.[12] He introduced thiolated polysaccharides as new biopolymers for tissue engineering at the 4th Central European Symposium on Pharmaceutical Technology in Vienna 2001, [13] resulting in numerous products containing thiomers such as thiolated chitosans or thiolated hyaluronic acid.[14][15] The thiomer-technology also contributed to the development of thiolated nanoparticles that are used as carriers for drug delivery, as diagnostics, and as biosensorics.[16] Likely the smallest thiolated nanocarriers for drug delivery are thiolated cyclodextrins, which he introduced in 2015,[17] providing in particular a prolonged residence time on mucosal membranes,[18][19][20] exhibiting permeation enhancing[21] as well as efflux pump inhibiting properties,[22] and improving cellular uptake.[23] Furthermore, Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch pioneered charge-converting nanoparticles for mucosal drug delivery utilizing the membrane bound enzyme alkaline phosphatase to trigger a shift in zeta potential from negative to positive directly at the epithelium.[4] Cationic nanoparticles are more efficiently taken up by epithelial cells than anionic ones. However, they do not reach epithelial cells, as they are immobilized via ionic interactions in mucus, displaying an anionic charge because of sialic acid substructures. Charge-converting nanoparticles address this so-called ‘polycation dilemma’ by converting their surface charge to positive at the cellular membrane.[24] Moreover, Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch contributed basic knowledge to the field of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for mucosal delivery of macromolecular drugs.[25]

Editing

Bernkop-Schnürch is on the editorial board of numerous pharmaceutical journals, including the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, the Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, Scientia Pharmaceutica, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, and the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutis.

Awards

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch has been awarded more than 20 national and international awards. These include:

  • Research-Award of the City of Vienna 1999[26]
  • Eurand-Award 2000[27]
  • Best of Biotech Award 2001[28]
  • MBPW Award 2002[29]
  • Best of Biotech Award 2003[30]
  • Adventure X Award 2004[31]
  • Most Cited Paper Awards 2004 [32][33]
  • Phoenix Science Award for Pharmacy 2005[34]
  • Eurand Award 2007[35]
  • Austrian Nano Award 2008[36]
  • Ernst Brandl Award 2015[37]
  • Most Cited Paper Award 2017 [38]
  • Gattefossé North America Award for Excellence in Research & Development with Lipid Excipients 2017[39]
  • Phoenix Science Award for Pharmacy 2022[40]
  • Science Award of Tyrol (de:Tiroler Landespreis für Wissenschaft) 2023[41]

Selected works

Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch is author of over 500 research articles and reviews, as well as editor and (co-)author of several books.


References

  1. ^ a b AT 269105T, Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch, "Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Mucoadhäsion von Polymeren sowie deren Herstellung und Verwendung", published 1998-11-04  and following patents such as EP1126881B1, US7354600B1, CN1325312A, JP4744693B2.
  2. ^ a b Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas; Schwarz, Veronika; Steininger, Sonja (1999). "Polymers with Thiol Groups: A New Generation of Mucoadhesive Polymers". Pharm. Res. 16 (11): 876–881. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2005.07.002. PMID 16176846.
  3. ^ Bernkop-Schnürch, A; Scholler, S; Biebel, RG (2000). "Development of controlled drug release systems based on polymer-cysteine conjugates". J. Control. Release. 66 (1): 39–47. doi:10.1016/S0168-3659(99)00256-4. PMID 10708877.
  4. ^ a b Le-Vinh, B; Akkus-Dagdeviren, ZB; Le, N-M; Nazir, I; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2022). "Alkaline Phosphatase: A Reliable Endogenous Partner for Drug Delivery and Diagnostics". Advanced Therapeutics. 5 (2): 2100219. doi:10.1002/adtp.202100219. S2CID 245865286.
  5. ^ "Nicotine Science Center". Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Scientific Committee of IMI". Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  7. ^ Cite web |url=https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/
  8. ^ Gehwolf, Severin; Gstrein, Elisabeth. "Institut für Pharmazie / Institute of Pharmacy". University of Innsbruck. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Kopf der Woche: Dekan Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch". 8 May 2006.
  10. ^ "Search of: chitosan-n-acetylcysteine - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov". clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Search of: thiomer - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov". clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today Europe - Trials Underway for Thiomer-Based Dry Eye Treatment". Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  13. ^ Kast, CE; Frick, W; Losert, U; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2003). "Chitosan-thioglycolic acid conjugate: a new scaffold material for tissue engineering?". Int J Pharm. 256 (1–2): 183–189. doi:10.1016/s0378-5173(03)00076-0. PMID 12695025.
  14. ^ Griesser, J; Hetényi, G; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2018). "Thiolated Hyaluronic Acid as Versatile Mucoadhesive Polymer: From the Chemistry Behind to Product Developments-What Are the Capabilities?". Polymers. 10 (3): 243. doi:10.3390/polym10030243. PMC 6414859. PMID 30966278.
  15. ^ Federer, C; Kurpiers, M; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2021). "Thiolated Chitosans: A Multi-talented Class of Polymers for Various Applications". Biomacromolecules. 22 (1): 24–56. doi:10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00663. PMC 7805012. PMID 32567846.
  16. ^ Hock, N; Racaniello, GF; Aspinall, S; Denora, N; Khutoryanskiy, V; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2022). "Thiolated Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications: Mimicking the Workhorses of our Body". Adv Sci (Weinh). 9 (1): 2102451. doi:10.1002/advs.202102451. PMC 8728822. PMID 34773391.
  17. ^ Ijaz, M; Matuszczak, B; Rahmat, D; Mahmood, A; Bonengel, S; Hussain, S; Huck, CW; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2015). "Synthesis and characterization of thiolated β-cyclodextrin as a novel mucoadhesive excipient for intra-oral drug delivery". Carbohydr Polym. 132: 187–195. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.06.073. PMID 26256340.
  18. ^ Grassiri, B; Knoll, P; Fabiano, A; Piras, AM; Zambito, Y; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2022). "Thiolated Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: A Potential Multifunctional Excipient for Ocular Drug Delivery". Int J Mol Sci. 23 (5): 2612. doi:10.3390/ijms23052612. PMC 8910138. PMID 35269753.
  19. ^ Kali, G; Haddadzadegan, S; Laffleur, F; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2023). "Per-thiolated cyclodextrins: Nanosized drug carriers providing a prolonged gastrointestinal residence time". Carbohydr Polym. 300: 120275. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120275. PMID 36372469. S2CID 253216810.
  20. ^ Assim, HM; Ijaz, M; Rösch, AC; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2020). "Thiolated cyclodextrins: New perspectives for old excipients". Coordinat Chem Rev. 420: 213433. doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213433. S2CID 224881946.
  21. ^ Kali, G; Haddadzadegan, S; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2024). "Cyclodextrins and derivatives in drug delivery: New developments, relevant clinical trials, and advanced products". Carbohydrate Polymers. 324: 121500. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121500. PMID 37985088.
  22. ^ Veider, F; Haddadzadegan, S; Sanchez Armengol, E; Laffleur, F; Kali, G; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2024). "Inhibition of P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux by thiolated cyclodextrins". Carbohydrate Polymers. 327: 121648. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121648. PMID 38171673.
  23. ^ Kaplan, Ö; Truszkowska, M; Kali, G; Knoll, P; Blanco Massani, M; Braun, DE; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2023). "Thiolated α-cyclodextrin: The likely smallest drug carrier providing enhanced cellular uptake and endosomal escape". Carbohydrate Polymers. 316: 121070. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121070. PMID 37321712.
  24. ^ Knoll, P; Hörmann, N; Nguyen Le, N-M; Wibel, R; Gust, R; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2022). "Charge converting nanostructured lipid carriers containing a cell-penetrating peptide for enhanced cellular uptake". J Colloid Interface Sci. 628 (Pt A): 463–475. Bibcode:2022JCIS..628A.463K. doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2022.07.160. PMID 35932682.
  25. ^ Mahmood, A; Bernkop-Schnürch, A (2019). "SEDDS: A game changing approach for oral administration of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs". Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 142: 91–101. doi:10.1016/j.addr.2018.07.001. PMID 29981355. S2CID 51599514.
  26. ^ "Förderungspreise der Stadt Wien, Preisträger Naturwissenschaft seit 1991". Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  27. ^ "PR Newswire France | Dernieres actualites". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  28. ^ "derStandard.at". www.derstandard.at. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Events Founders Forum Kontakte, Kontakte, Kontakte - PDF Free Download". docplayer.org. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Beteiligung an "BOB - Best of Biotech" übertrifft alle Erwartungen. Bereits 97 Einreichungen in Phase 1 des Businessplan-Wettbewerbs für Life Sciences". OTS.at. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Startup.Euregio - ein dynamisches und nachhaltiges Ökosystem – Startup.Euregio". www.startupeuregio.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Most Cited Paper Award 2004 JCR" (PDF). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  33. ^ "Most Cited Paper Award 2004 EJPS" (PDF). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  34. ^ "PHOENIX Pharmazie Wissenschaftspreis 2005 an Rollinger und Bernkop-Schnürch". Universität Innsbruck. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Pharma commercial intelligence, news & analysis | Evaluate". www.evaluate.com. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  36. ^ Kinzl, Martina (4 December 2008). "Auszeichnung für Spitzenleistung in Nanowissenschaften". Universität Innsbruck. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  37. ^ Bartos, Melanie (12 June 2015). "Pharmazeut mit Prof. Ernst-Brandl-Preis ausgezeichnet". Universität Innsbruck. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  38. ^ "Most Cited Paper Award 2017 EJPB JCR" (PDF). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  39. ^ "Gattefossé North America Announces Recipient of 2017 Award for Excellence | American Pharmaceutical Review - The Review of American Pharmaceutical Business & Technology". Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  40. ^ "Wissenschaftspreis". www.phoenixgroup.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  41. ^ "Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch erhält Tiroler Landespreis für Wissenschaft". science.apa.at. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.