All Tech Innovators

Steven R. Little

Delivery of Antagonists and Agonists for Immune Modulation

06543

Controlled microparticle release delivers ATP antagonists and adenosine receptor agonists to suppress inflammation long-term.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Dermatology
Immunology
Therapeutic Indications: Dermatitis
Lead Inventor: Elizabeth Bentley
Department: Bioengineering
All Tech Innovators: Stephen C. Balmert
Elizabeth Bentley
Julie Kobyra
Technology Readiness Level: 3. Initial proof of concept, in-vivo
Date Submitted: 2023-10-17

Accelerated Wound Healing Sustained Release Nanoparticles

07150

Sustained-release TGF-β3 nanoparticles enhance soft-tissue wound strength, reduce scarring, enabling single-site surgical therapy.

Tags: Implantable Medical Device
Material Science
Lead Inventor: Thiagarajan Meyyappan
Department: Med-Medicine
All Tech Innovators: Steven R. Little
Thiagarajan Meyyappan
Date Submitted: 2025-04-15
Collections: Regenerative Medicine

Novel Nutrient Delivery System for Agriculture

06559

Liposome-based, microfluidic nutrient delivery targets roots, boosting uptake and reducing leaching for sustainable, efficient farming.

Technology Type: Engineering Technology
Technology Subtype: Environmental Engineering
Lead Inventor: Alireza Mohammadzadeh
Department: Bioengineering
All Tech Innovators: Leanne Marie Gilbertson
Steven R. Little
Alireza Mohammadzadeh
Date Submitted: 2023-11-03

Prevention of DED Utilizing a Histone/Protein Deacetylase Inhibitor (HDACi)

04403

HDAC inhibitor-loaded PLGA microspheres deliver targeted, long-term anti-inflammatory therapy for dry eye by boosting regulatory T cells.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Ophthalmology
Therapeutic Indications: Conjunctivitis
Dry eye syndrome
Uveitic macular edema (UME)
Lead Inventor: Steven Little
Department: Engr-Dept Chairperson's Office
All Tech Innovators: Steven R. Little
Michelle Lynn Ratay
Technology Readiness Level: 3. Initial proof of concept, in-vivo
Date Submitted: 2017-10-09

A Method to Prepare Patchy Microspheres with Regular Pattern

02080

Novel method forms regular, patchy microsphere surfaces for masking or functionalization across polymers, minerals, and metals.

Technology Type: Engineering Technology
Technology Subtype: Chemical
Tags: Platform Technology
Lead Inventor: Steven Little
Department: Engr-Dept Chairperson's Office
All Tech Innovators: Kaladhar Kamalasanan
Steven R. Little
Date Submitted: 2009-10-06

iHeart: Injectable Hydrogel for Enhancing or Attracting Regulatory T-Cells

06482

Injectable hydrogel releases CCL22 to recruit regulatory T cells, reducing reperfusion injury after myocardial infarction.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Cell Therapy - T Cell
Therapeutic Areas: Cardiovascular
Therapeutic Indications: Myocardial infarction
Lead Inventor: Matthew Borrelli
Department: Chem/Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Matthew Andrew Borrelli
Jason Burdick
Steven R. Little
Technology Readiness Level: 3. Initial proof of concept, in-vivo
Date Submitted: 2023-08-15
Collections: Cell & Gene Therapy
Cardiometabolic

Targeted Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

05417

Orally delivered, targeted PLGA microparticles deliver IL-2, TGF-β, and rapamycin to inflamed gut tissue, reducing IBD activity.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Gastroenterology
Immunology
Therapeutic Indications: Chrohn's Disease
Lead Inventor: Roger Sands
Department: Med-Medicine
All Tech Innovators: Steven R. Little
Roger Warren Sands
Technology Readiness Level: 3. Initial proof of concept, in-vivo
Date Submitted: 2020-06-11

Thermogel-extended Release Microsphere Based Delivery to the Paranasal Sinuses

05299

Thermogel-PLGA microspheres deliver four-week, localized mometasone furoate to paranasal sinuses post-surgery.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Infectious Disease
Lead Inventor: Andrea Schilling
Department: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Stella Lee
Steven R. Little
Andrea Leigh Schilling
Date Submitted: 2020-04-10

Controlled Release Microparticle Platform for Localized Prevention of Tissue Calcification and Ossification

03248

PLGA microparticles deliver BMP receptor inhibitor locally to prevent tissue calcification with sustained, customizable release.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Musculoskeletal
Tags: Regenerative medicine
Sports medicine
Tissue engineering
Lead Inventor: Riccardo Gottardi
All Tech Innovators: Peter Alexander
Patrick A. Bianconi
Riccardo Luca Gottardi
Date Submitted: 2014-02-17
Collections: Regenerative Medicine

Noninvasive & Long-Acting Thermoresponsive Hydrogel for Sustained Ocular Drug Delivery

02867

Noninvasive, thermoresponsive ocular gel with drug-loaded microparticles enables month-long, drop-free sustained eye treatment.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Ophthalmology
Therapeutic Indications: Other
Glaucoma
Dry eye syndrome
Lead Inventor: Morgan Dileo
Department: Med-Ophthalmology
All Tech Innovators: Anthony Cugini
Morgan Virginia Dileo
Steven R. Little
Technology Readiness Level: 4. Pre-clinical development
Date Submitted: 2012-08-14

Alginate-based Microparticles for Controlled Chemokine Delivery and Multipotent Stem Cell Recruitment

02836

Alginate microparticles dose-tune chemokine release (up to 40 days) to recruit endogenous MSCs for targeted regenerative therapies.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Cell Therapy - Stem Cell
Lead Inventor: Steven Little
Department: Engr-Dept Chairperson's Office
All Tech Innovators: Daniel A. Desantis
Riccardo Luca Gottardi
Mintai Hwang
Date Submitted: 2012-07-12
Collections: Cell & Gene Therapy
Regenerative Medicine

Instrument-Free Assay for In-Clinic Detection of Bladder or Prostate Cancer

03825

Colorimetric, instrument-free urine test detects bladder/prostate cancer via MMP-2/9–triggered Fe(II) release and Fenton reaction.

Technology Type: Diagnostic/Assay
Technology Subtype: Other Diagnostic/Assay
Therapeutic Areas: Oncology
Therapeutic Indications: Prostate cancer / adenocarcinoma
Lead Inventor: Abhinav Acharya
Department: Chem/Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Abhinav Prakash Acharya
Steven R. Little
Tatum Varut Tarin
Date Submitted: 2016-02-09

Development of Artificial Stem Cells for Vascular Engineering

03799

Artificial MSCs: porous microparticles deliver sustained, multi-factor signals for vascular, regenerative therapies without autologous cells.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Cell Therapy - Stem Cell
Therapeutic Areas: Cardiovascular
Lead Inventor: David Vorp
Department: Bioengineering
All Tech Innovators: Morgan Virginia Dileo
Jeffrey T. Krawiec
Steven R. Little
Date Submitted: 2016-01-05
Collections: Cell & Gene Therapy
Cardiometabolic

Targeted Immune Cell Therapy Using CCL22 Muteins for Enhanced Precision

06493

Precise immune cell targeting via CCL22 muteins and engineered CCR4 receptors, boosting therapy localization and reducing off-target effects.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Lead Inventor: Heth Turnquist
Department: Med-Surgery
All Tech Innovators: Stephen C. Balmert
Matthew Andrew Borrelli
Steven R. Little
Date Submitted: 2023-08-24

Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Containing Polymer Microparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery to the Ear

03810

Single-dose, thermoresponsive ear gel with PLGA microspheres for 14-day ciprofloxacin release and lidocaine.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Otolaryngology
Tags: Polymer
Platform Technology
Lead Inventor: Morgan Dileo
Department: Med-Ophthalmology
All Tech Innovators: Liza Anna Bruk
Morgan Virginia Dileo
Steven R. Little
Date Submitted: 2016-01-26

Biomimetic Drug Delivery of an Immunomodulatory Agent for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease

03658

Biomimetic, controlled-release immunomodulatory microspheres recruit Tregs to treat inflammatory eye diseases at the source with safer, longer relief.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Ophthalmology
Therapeutic Indications: Dry eye syndrome
Lead Inventor: Michelle Ratay
Department: Bioengineering
All Tech Innovators: Stephen C. Balmert
Morgan Virginia Dileo
Andrew Jason Glowacki
Date Submitted: 2015-06-22

Stapled Acid-Sensitive Endosome Disrupting Alginates

03618

Acid-responsive alginoketal nanoparticles release divalent cations and cargo in acidic endosomes, enabling targeted cancer and biofilm therapies.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Neuroscience
Oncology
Therapeutic Indications: Parkinson's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease
Solid tumor
Lead Inventor: Abhinav Acharya
Department: Chem/Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Abhinav Prakash Acharya
Steven R. Little
Date Submitted: 2015-05-21

YouBiotics

04368

Engineered weight-loss probiotic YouBiotics: fat-binding gut bacteria reduce dietary fat absorption, cutting obesity risk affordably.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Other Therapeutic Modality
Therapeutic Areas: Gastroenterology
Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
Therapeutic Indications: Obesity
Tags: Aging
Autoimmune
Consumer
Lead Inventor: Abhinav Acharya
Department: Chem/Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Abhinav Prakash Acharya
Steven R. Little
Technology Readiness Level: 3. Initial proof of concept, in-vivo
Date Submitted: 2017-09-08
Collections: Cardiometabolic

Controlled Release Formulations for Induction and Proliferation of Regulatory T Cells

02616

Controlled release IL-2, TGF-β, and rapamycin formulations induce human regulatory T cells in vitro, enabling targeted in vivo expansion.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Cell Therapy - T Cell
Therapeutic Areas: Oncology
Immunology
Therapeutic Indications: Solid tumor
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Tags: Autoimmune
Immuno-oncology
Lead Inventor: Steven Little
Department: Engr-Dept Chairperson's Office
All Tech Innovators: Siddharth Jhunjhunwala
Steven R. Little
Giorgio Raimondi
Technology Readiness Level: 2. Initial proof of concept, in-vitro
Date Submitted: 2011-11-10
Collections: Cell & Gene Therapy

Advanced Pulmonary Treatment with Verteporfin and Glutaminase Inhibitors

04344

Targeted, controlled lung delivery of Verteporfin with glutaminase inhibitors via porous PLGA particles to treat pulmonary hypertension.

Technology Type: Therapeutic Modality
Technology Subtype: Drug Delivery / Formulation
Therapeutic Areas: Respiratory
Lead Inventor: Abhinav Acharya
Department: Chem/Petroleum Engineering
All Tech Innovators: Abhinav Prakash Acharya
Stephen Yu-Wah Chan MD, PhD
Ashlee Chennicia Greene
Date Submitted: 2017-08-07