School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

Dr Anitha Sudheesh Kumar

PhD Nano-Biotechnology, India. M.Tech Nanomedical Sciences, India, MSc Chemistry, India
Chemistry Building (68), Room 805
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Primary research interest

Nano drug delivery systems for therapeutic proteins and anticancer drugs

About me

I graduated with a Ph.D. in Nano-Biotechnology in 2014 from India and moved on to the University of Queensland as a UQ Post-Doctoral Fellow. In October 2016, I was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Research Fellowship (Peter Doherty Biomedical Fellowship) to work on the development of targeted nanoformulations for skeletal metastasised breast cancers.

Research focus and collaborations

As a member of Associate Professor Lisbeth Grondahl’s laboratory, my research interests are lying on the development of nanoparticles systems developed from biopolymers and synthetic polymers for drug delivery applications. The key therapeutic entities which are used in the nanoencapsulation include therapeutic proteins, chemotherapeutic agents as well as anticancer phytochemicals. Currently, I am working on the development of a targeted drug encapsulated nanoparticle systems (based on PLGA polymer and sulfated alginates) for the treatment of skeletal metastasised breast cancers. 

Funded projects

  • NHMRC Early Career Fellowships (2017–2020): “Rationally designed targeted core shell nano-construct for improved anticancer effects and enhanced bone fracture healing in breast cancers metastasised to bone”
  • UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2015–2016): “Sequential growth factor delivery for bone regeneration”

Teaching interests

  • Supervision of honours, master's and undergraduate students.

Featured publications

Publications

Book Chapters (3)
Journal Articles (16)
Conference Paper (1)

Book Chapters

Anitha, A., Yang, Jiankun, Gao, Yingjun, Gueguen, Auriane, Diggle, Broden and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2022). Submicron and nano-sized gel particles based on alginate and sulfated alginate for protein encapsulation. Properties and applications of alginate. (pp. 41-74) Hauppage, NY USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Grøndahl, Lisbeth, Lawrie, Gwendolyn, Anitha, A. and Shejwalkar, Aparna (2020). Applications of alginate biopolymer in drug delivery. Biointegration of Medical Implant Materials. (pp. 375-403) edited by Chandra P. Sharma. Duxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-08-102680-9.00014-7
Anitha, A., Rejinold, N. Sanoj, Bumgardner, Joel D., Nair, Shanti V. and Jayakumar, Rangasamy (2012). Approaches for functional modification or cross-linking of chitosan. Chitosan-based systems for biopharmaceuticals : delivery, targeting, and polymer therapeutics. (pp. 107-124) edited by Bruno Sarmento and Jose das Neves. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781119962977.ch7

Journal Articles

Mushtaq, Asim, Li, Li, Grøndahl, Lisbeth and A, Anitha (2024). Targeted nanoparticles based on alendronate polyethylene glycol conjugated chitosan for the delivery of sirna and curcumin for bone metastasized breast cancer applications. Macromolecular Bioscience, 24 (2) 2300268. doi: 10.1002/mabi.202300268
Mutch, Alexandra L., Ferro, Vito, A, Anitha and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2024). Synthesis of sulfated alginate from its tributylammonium salt: Comparing the sulfating agents H2SO4-DCC and SO3·py. Carbohydrate Polymers, 324 121488, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121488
Mushtaq, Asim, Li, Li, A, Anitha and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2022). Characterisation of products from EDC-mediated PEG substitution of chitosan allows optimisation of reaction conditions. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 221, 204-211. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.179
Poli, Hamish, Mushtaq, Asim, Bell, Craig A., McGeary, Ross P., Grøndahl, Lisbeth and A, Anitha (2021). Optimisation of alendronate conjugation to polyethylene glycol for functionalisation of biopolymers and nanoparticles. European Polymer Journal, 155 110571, 110571. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110571
A, Anitha, Fletcher, Nicholas L., Houston, Zachary H., Thurecht, Kristofer J. and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2021). Evaluation of the in vivo fate of ultrapure alginate in a BALB/c mouse model. Carbohydrate Polymers, 262 117947, 117947. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.117947
Mushtaq, Asim, Li, Li, A., Anitha and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2021). Chitosan nanomedicine in cancer therapy: targeted delivery and cellular uptake. Macromolecular Bioscience, 21 (5) 2100005, e2100005. doi: 10.1002/mabi.202100005
Garms, Bruna C., Poli, Hamish, Baggley, Darcy, Han, Felicity Y., Whittaker, Andrew K., A, Anitha and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2021). Evaluating the effect of synthesis, isolation, and characterisation variables on reported particle size and dispersity of drug loaded PLGA nanoparticles. Materials Advances, 2 (17), 5657-5671. doi: 10.1039/d1ma00410g
Anitha, A., Deepa, N., Chennazhi, K. P., Nair, S. V., Tamura, H. and Jayakumar, R. (2020). Corrigendum to “Development of mucoadhesive thiolated chitosan nanoparticles for biomedical applications” [Carbohydrate Polymers 83 (2011) 66–73] (Carbohydrate Polymers (2011) 66–73 (S0144861710005710), (10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.07.028)). Carbohydrate Polymers, 250 116901, 1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116901
Poli, Hamish, Mutch, Alexandra L., Anitha, A., Ivanovski, Saso, Vaquette, Cedryck, Castner, David G., Gomez-Cerezo, Maria Natividad and Grondahl, Lisbeth (2020). Evaluation of surface layer stability of surface-modified polyester biomaterials. Biointerphases, 15 (6) 687, 061010. doi: 10.1116/6.0000687
Mohd Hidzir, Norsyahidah, A, Anitha, Kępa, Katarzyna, Hill, David J. T., Jorgensen, Lene and Grøndahl, Lisbeth (2020). Protein adsorption to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membranes modified with grafted poly(acrylic acid) chains. Biointerphases, 15 (3) 031011, 031011. doi: 10.1116/6.0000137
Anitha, A., Maya, S., Sivaram, Amal J., Mony, U. and Jayakumar, R. (2016). Combinatorial nanomedicines for colon cancer therapy. WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 8 (1), 151-159. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1353
Anitha, A., Sowmya, S., Sudheesh Kumar, P. T., Deepathi, S., Chennazhi, K. P., Ehrlich, H., Tsurkan, M. and Jayakumar, R. (2014). Chitin and chitosan in selected biomedical applications. Progress in Polymer Science, 39 (9), 1644-1667. doi: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2014.02.008
Anitha, A., Chennazhi, K. P., Nair, S. V. and Jayakumar, R. (2012). 5-Flourouracil Loaded N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan Nanoparticles as an Anticancer Nanomedicine for Breast Cancer. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, 8 (1), 29-42. doi: 10.1166/jbn.2012.1365
Anitha, A., Deepagan, V. G., Divya Rani, V. V., Nair, S. V. and Jayakumar, R. (2011). Preparation, characterization, in vitro drug release and biological studies of curcumin loaded dextran sulphate–chitosan nanoparticles. Carbohydrate Polymers, 84 (3), 1158-1164. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.01.005
Anitha, A., Deepa, N., Chennazhi, K. P., Nair, S.V., Tamura, H. and Jayakumar, R. (2011). Development of mucoadhesive thiolated chitosan nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Carbohydrate Polymers, 83 (1), 66-73. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.07.028
Anitha, A., Divya Rani, V. V., Krishna, R., Sreeja, V., Selvamurugan, N., Nair, S. V., Tamura, H. and Jayakumar, R. (2009). Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and antibacterial studies of chitosan, O-carboxymethyl and N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan nanoparticles. Carbohydrate Polymers, 78 (4), 672-677. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2009.05.028

Conference Paper

Anitha, A., Fletcher, Nicholas, Houston, Zachary, Thurecht, Kristofer and Grondahl, Lisbeth (2016). Evaluation of the in vivo fate of ultrapure alginate in mice model. 10th World Biomaterials Congress, Montréal, Canada, 17 May - 22 May 2016. Lausanne, Switzerland: Frontiers Research Foundation. doi: 10.3389/conf.FBIOE.2016.01.02237

Areas of research

Biotechnology discipline
Medicinal chemistry theme
Physical and computational chemistry discipline