The Centre for Nanopharmaceutical Translational Research in Infectious Diseases, Cancer and Neurotherapeutics (CENTRIC) is focused on the development 21st century progressive nano-enabled drug delivery technologies as therapeutic solutions for diseases of concern both to our local context as well as globally.

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Extramural Research Unit (EMU), under the leadership of Prof. Lisa du Toit, will be housed within the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology (Director: Prof. Yahya Choonara), in the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

CENTRIC is the first nanopharmaceutical advanced drug delivery EMU research programme in South Africa. Nanopharmaceuticals fall under the umbrella term of nanomedicines, possessing a specific focus on nano-engineered drug delivery systems and therapeutics. These technologies would provide protected, controlled, targeted and/or bioresponsive transport and delivery of therapeutic molecules to the body, tissues, and cells, thus improving bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy, and reducing the toxic effects of the therapeutic molecule encapsulated. 

CENTRIC’s research will span in vitro and in vivo studies, with a clear trajectory towards intellectual property development, pilot-scale manufacturing, and early-stage clinical translation. The Unit’s capabilities include Good Manufacturing Practice-aligned development and the potential to support first-in-human studies.

In addition to the scientific rationale for the research focus outlined above, it is evident that the CENTRIC EMU will be aligned with SAMRC’s mission is to improve the health of South Africans through research, innovation, and technology transfer. The design, development, and translation of innovative nanopharmaceuticals is a necessary step to addressing the South Africa’s disease burden and emerging global health challenges.