Dr Joseph Nicolazzo - Researcher Profile

Biography

Position

Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dr Joseph Nicolazzo graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1999 (Monash University) and was awarded the Pharmacy Gold Medal and Exhibition for the highest grades achieved over the 3 year Pharmacy degree, in addition to the Amgen Australia Prize for Academic Excellence in Biotechnology. Dr Nicolazzo then undertook a PhD (Monash University) in the area of buccal mucosal drug delivery (graduating in 2005), where his research led to 8 peer-reviewed publications in international journals (including one review), two invited book chapters, and 6 presentations at national and international conferences. In 2007, Dr Nicolazzo was appointed as Lecturer, where he has developed a laboratory with expertise in understanding mechanistic factors facilitating drug transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in health and disease and understanding how dysfunction in the BBB is involved in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and neuroinflammation. In addition to his 30 publications in international journals and books, Dr Nicolazzo has been invited to share his research findings at 7 national and international conferences (including the Gordon Research Conference – Barriers of the CNS, International Symposium on Signal Transduction in the Blood-Brain Barriers, and the World Congress of Neurotechnology). He has obtained funding from NHMRC, The Mason Foundation, The JO & JR Wicking Trust, CASS Foundation and ANZ Trustees, and was  awarded the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2009 Young Investigator Award. Dr Nicolazzo is Editor of the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association newsletter, a Review Editor for Frontiers in Drug Metabolism and Transport, and a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Drug Delivery and Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr Nicolazzo also holds a full time teaching load, coordinating units in both Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences degrees, and has recently been appointed the Stream Coordinator of Drug Delivery in the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.

Research & Supervision Interests

My laboratory focusses on the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in governing CNS entry of therapeutic agents  and the impact of disease state on BBB transport phenomena. Using a suite of in vitro, in situ and in vivo models, my research is broadly classified into:

• Understanding the factors affecting BBB transport of organic cations
• The involvement of intracellular trafficking proteins in facilitating drug entry into the CNS
• The impact of inflammation, bacterial infection and Alzheimer's disease on BBB transport of drugs
• Utilising novel approaches to enhance the BBB efflux of amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease, blood-brain barrier, CNS drug delivery, neuroinflammation

Qualifications

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2010

PHD

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2005

BACHELOR OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE (HONS)

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2001

BACHELOR OF PHARMACY

Institution: Monash University

Year awarded: 2000

Publications

Book Chapters

Nicolazzo, J., Mannila, J.M., 2010, Buccal delivery systems, in Biodrug Delivery Systems: Fundamentals, Applications and Clinical Development, eds Mariko Morishita, Kinam Park, Informa Healthcare, New York NY USA, pp. 119-137.

Nicolazzo, J., Finnin, B.C., 2008, In Vivo and In Vitro Models for Assessing Drug Absorption Across the Buccal Mucosa, in Drug Absorption Studies: In Situ, In Vitro and In Silico Models, eds Carsten Ehrhardt, Springer, USA, pp. 89-111.

Journal Articles

Gee, C.M., Nicolazzo, J., Watkinson A., Finnin, B.C., 2012, Assessment of the lateral diffusion and penetration of topically applied drugs in humans using a novel concentric tape stripping design, Pharmaceutical Research [P], vol 29, issue 8, Springer New York LLC, United States, pp. 2035-2046.

Hinton, T.M., Monaghan, P., Green, D., Kooijmans, S.A.A., Shi, S., Breheney, K., Tizard, M.L., Nicolazzo, J., Zelikin, A.N., Wark, K., 2012, Biodistribution of polymer hydrogel capsules for the delivery of therapeutics, Acta Biomaterialia [P], vol 8, issue 9, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 3251-3260.

Bergstr??m, C.A.S., Charman, S.A., Nicolazzo, J., 2012, Computational prediction of CNS drug exposure based on a novel in vivo dataset, Pharmaceutical Research [P], vol 29, issue 11, Springer New York LLC, New York USA, pp. 3131-3142.

Jin, L., Li, J., Nation, R.L., Nicolazzo, J., 2012, Effect of systemic infection induced by pseudomonas aeruginosa on the brain uptake of colistin in mice, Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy [P], vol 56, issue 10, American Society for Microbiology, Washington DC USA, pp. 5240-5246.

Kooijmans, S.A.A., Senyschyn, D., Mezhiselvam, M.M., Morizzi, J., Charman, S.A., Weksler, B., Romero, I., Couraud, P., Nicolazzo, J., 2012, The involvement of a Na+ and Cl-dependent transporter in the brain uptake of amantadine and rimantadine, Molecular Pharmaceutics [P], vol 9, American Chemical Society, United States, pp. 883-893.

Dube, A., Nicolazzo, J., Larson, I., 2011, Assessment of plasma concentrations of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate in mice following administration of a dose reflecting consumption of a standard green tea beverage, Food Chemistry [P], vol 128, issue 1, Elsevier, Netherlands, pp. 7-13.

Dube, A., Nicolazzo, J., Larson, I., 2011, Chitosan nanoparticles enhance the plasma exposure of (-) -epigallocatechin gallate in mice through an enhancement in intestinal stability, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences [P], vol 44, Elsevier, Netherlands, pp. 422-426.

Nicolazzo, J., Banks, W., 2011, Decreased blood-brain barrier expression of P-glycoprotein in alzheimer's disease: Impact on pathogenesis and brain access of therapeutic agents, Therapeutic Delivery [P], vol 2, issue 7, Future Science, UK, pp. 841-844.

Nicolazzo, J., Steuten, J.A., Charman, S.A., Taylor, N., Davies, P., Petrou, S., 2010, Brain uptake of diazepam and phenytoin in a genetic animal model of absence epilepsy, Clinical And Experimental Pharmacology And Physiology [P], vol 37, Blackwell Publishing Asia Ltd, Australia, pp. 647-649.

Dube, A., Nicolazzo, J., Larson, I.C., 2010, Chitosan nanoparticles enhance the intestinal absorption of the green tea catechins (+)-catechin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences [P], vol 41, Elsevier B.V., Netherlands, pp. 219-225.

Dube, A., Ng, K., Nicolazzo, J., Larson, I.C., 2010, Effective use of reducing agents and nanoparticle encapsulation in stabilizing catechins in alkaline solution, Food Chemistry [P], vol 122, Elsevier, Netherlands, pp. 662-667.

Jin, L., Li, J., Nation, R., Nicolazzo, J., 2010, Impact of p-glycoprotein inhibition and lipopolysaccharide administration on blood-brain barrier transport of colistin in mice, Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy [P], vol 55, issue 2, American Society for Microbiology, USA, pp. 502-507.

Heemstra, L.B., Finnin, B.C., Nicolazzo, J., 2010, The buccal mucosa as an alternative route for the systemic delivery of risperidone, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences [P], vol 99, issue 11, Wiley Inter Science, USA, pp. 4584-4592.

Nicolazzo, J., Mehta, D., 2010, Transport of drugs across the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease, Therapeutic Delivery [P], vol 1, issue 4, Future Science Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 595-611.

Lestari, M.L.A., Nicolazzo, J., Finnin, B.C., 2009, A novel flow through diffusion cell for assessing drug transport across the buccal mucosa in vitro, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences [P], vol 98, issue 12, John Wiley and Sons Inc, USA, pp. 4577-4588.

Jin, L., Li, J., Nation, R.L., Nicolazzo, J., 2009, Brain penetration of colistin in mice assessed by a novel high-performance liquid chromatographic technique, Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy [P], vol 53, issue 10, American Society for Microbiology, USA, pp. 4247-4251.

Nicolazzo, J., Katneni, K., 2009, Drug transport across the blood-brain barrier and the impact of breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2), Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, vol 9, issue 2, Bentham Science Publishers Ltd, Netherlands, pp. 130-147.

Nicolazzo, J., Nguyen, T.T., Katneni, K., Steuten, J.A., Smith, G.D., Jarrott, B., Callaway, J.K., Charman, S.A., 2008, Pharmacokinetics and brain uptake of AM-36, a novel neuroprotective agent, following intravenous administration to rats, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, vol 60, issue 2, Pharmaceutical Press, UK, pp. 171-178.

Adlard, P.A., Cherny, R.A., Finklestein, D.I., Gautier, E., Robb, E., Cortes, M., Volitakis, I., Liu, X., Smith, J.P., Perez, K., Laughton, K.M., Lin, Q., Charman, S.A., Nicolazzo, J., Wilkins, S.J., Deleva, K., Lynch, T., Kok, G., Ritchie, C.W., Tanzi, R.E., Cappai, R., Masters, C.L., Barnham, K.J., Bush, A.I., 2008, Rapid restoration of cognition in alzheimer's transgenic mice with 8-hydroxy quinoline analogs is associated with decreased interstitial Abeta, Neuron, vol 59, Elsevier Inc, USA, pp. 43-55.

Nicolazzo, J.A., Charman, S.A., Charman, W.N., 2006, Methods to assess drug permeability across the blood-brain barrier, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, vol 58, issue 3, Pharmaceutical Press, UK, pp. 281-293.

Nicolazzo, J., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2005, Buccal Penetration Enhancers - How Do They Really Work?, Journal of Controlled Release, vol 105, issue 18, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 1-15.

Nicolazzo, J., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2005, Enhanced buccal mucosal retention and reduced buccal permeabiltiy of estradiol in the presence of padimate O and Azone(R): A mechanistic study, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 94, issue 4, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA, pp. 873-882.

Nicolazzo, J.A., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2005, Enhancing the buccal mucosal uptake and retention of triamcinolone acetonide, Journal of Controlled Release, vol 105, issue 3, Elsevier, The Netherlands, pp. 240-248.

Nicolazzo, J.A., Morgan, T.M., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2005, Synergistic enhancement of testosterone transdermal delivery, Journal of Controlled Release, vol 103, issue 3, Elsevier, The Netherlands, pp. 577-585.

Nicolazzo, J.A., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2004, Assessment of the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate on the buccal permeability of caffeine and estradiol, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 93, issue 2, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA, pp. 431-440.

Nicolazzo, J.A., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2004, Modification of buccal drug delivery following pretreatment with skin penetration enhancers, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 93, issue 8, Wiley-Liss, Inc., Hoboken USA, pp. 2054-2063.

Nicolazzo, J., Reed, B.L., Finnin, B.C., 2003, The effects of various in vitro conditions on the permeability characteristics of the buccal mucosa, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol 92, issue 12, John Wiley & Sons, USA, pp. 2399-2410.

Teaching Commitment

Unit co-ordinator, Bachelor of Pharmacy

PAC2232 (Drug Delivery and Disposition)


Unit co-ordinator, Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

PSC3081 (Biopharmaceutics)

Lecture topics

• Factors affecting oral drug absorption
• Pharmacokinetics
• Bioavailability
• Drug transporters and drug-drug interactions
• Blood-brain barrier transport and CNS drug delivery

Activities

Affiliations with institutes

Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Memberships of editorial boards

Editorial Advisory Board Member
International Journal of Drug Delivery

Editorial Advisory Board Member
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Review Editor
Frontiers in Drug Metabolism and Transport

Organised major conferences outside the Faculty

Faculty Chair
2012 Globalization of Pharmaceutics Education Network Conference

Local Committee Member
2014 Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress

Grants

Title:

Determination of the most promising strategy for cell therapy of Alzheimer's disease following transplantation of embryonic stem cell derived neural stem cells or neural proginitors into the hippo..

Investigators:

Pouton, C, Haynes, J, Short, J, Nicolazzo, J

Funding:

(2010 - 2014). Australian Stem Cell Centre.

Title:

Enhancing the blood-brain barrier efflux of beta-amyloid: a novel approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Investigators:

Nicolazzo, J, Banks, W

Funding:

(2013 - 2017). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Title:

Overcoming the Delivery Hurdle for Peptide Therapeutics: New Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases.

Investigators:

Norton, R, Boyd, B, Nicolazzo, J, Beeton, C

Funding:

(2013 - 2017). National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Title:

P-glycoprotein expression at the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease.

Investigators:

Nicolazzo, J

Funding:

(2009 - 2012). ANZ Charitable Trusts: Medical Research & Technology Grant.

Title:

The impact of Alzheimer's disease on blood-brain barrier transport of drugs.

Investigators:

Nicolazzo, J

Funding:

(2008 - 2011). Philanthropy, ANZ Trustees.

Title:

The role of fatty acid binding proteins at the blood-brain barrier in facilitating drug entry into the brain.

Investigators:

Nicolazzo, J

Funding:

(2012 - 2015). ANZ Charitable Trusts: Medical Research & Technology Grant.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Joint-co), Short, J (Joint).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Decreased brain levels of essential fatty acids in Alzheimer's disease: the role of the BBB.

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Main), Porter, C (Associate), Scanlon, M (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Drug transport across the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease.

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Joint-co), Short, J (Joint).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Effect of stem cell based therapy in murine models of Alzheimer's disease..

Supervisors:

Short, J (Main), Haynes, J (Associate), Nicolazzo, J (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Fatty acid binding protein at BBB: a novel taget for enhancing DHA in Alzeimer's disease?.

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Main), Porter, C (Associate), Scanlon, M (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Smoking cessation support for pregnant women.

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Joint-co), Short, J (Joint).

Completed Supervision

Student:

Dube, A.

Program of Study:

Assessment of the impact of biopolymeric nanoparticles on the oral absorption of green tea catechins. (PHD) 2010.

Supervisors:

Larson, I (Joint-Co), Nicolazzo, J (Joint).

Student:

Gee, C.

Program of Study:

Understanding the in vivo dynamics of non-occlusive drug delivery systems. (PHD) 2011.

Supervisors:

Finnin, B (Main), Nicolazzo, J (Associate).

Student:

Jin, L.

Program of Study:

The impact of systemic inflammation and bacterial infection on the blood-brain barrier transport of colistin. (PHD) 2012.

Supervisors:

Nicolazzo, J (Main), Li, J (Associate), Nation, R (Associate).

Student:

Lestari, M.

Program of Study:

Buccal absorption of some beta adrenoreceptor agonists. (Masters) 2008.

Supervisors:

Finnin, B (Joint-Co), Nicolazzo, J (Joint).