1. Can you please briefly summarize the paper? 

Quetiapine (QTP) is a first-line antipsychotic drug for the treatment of schizophrenia; however, lifelong daily administration of QTP tablets is associated with a low patient acceptance profile. Accordingly, substituting oral dosage forms with long-acting injectables can potentially improve patient compliance and treatment effectiveness. However, research on long-acting injectables of QTP has rarely been reported.?This study investigates in vitro and in vivo performance of a pH-responsive nanosuspension of myristic acid-conjugated QTP as a novel long-acting injectable. Quetiapine myristate (QM), an ester-bonded lipophilic QTP prodrug, is synthesized and converted into an amphiphilic structure in acidic pH to trigger a novel self-assembled QM nanosuspension (QMN). Following injection, this QMN rearranges within physiological pH to form nanoaggregates in structure, resulting in enhanced physicochemical properties and in vivo therapeutic performance. QMN offers a simple formulation design and an innovative release mechanism that can address the challenges associated with polymeric nanoparticles, providing high drug content, high stability, low toxicity, and long-acting performance without a large initial burst release.

2. Can you please tell us the main difficulties you had in the laboratory work and how you overcame them?

During my research, I faced the main difficulties of proving the long-acting mechanism of our new self-assembled nanosuspension. I initially used in vitro methods to investigate the drug release behavior, but more evidence is needed to support the hypothesis. Fortunately, with the guidance and encouragement from my supervisor, Professor Beom-Jin Lee, we were able to explain the mechanism using the beagle dog model.

3. Please introduce your laboratory, university or organization to bio-researchers in Korea.

I am currently a Ph.D student in the Laboratory of Bioavailability Control (BACL) at the College of Pharmacy, Ajou University. The goal and vision of our lab, led by Professor Beom-Jin Lee, are to investigate versatile pharmaceutical formulations and innovative drug delivery systems to develop incrementally modified drug and knowledge-based drug products with efficient drug delivery and controlled bioavailability. One of our well-recognized research is the application of fattigation platform in pharmaceutical science and drug delivery. We utilized fatty acid to chemically conjugate with biomacromolecules or small drugs to obtain amphiphilic structures that self-assemble in aqueous solutions, serving as drug nanocarriers or self-assembled prodrugs to improve drug physicochemical properties and biopharmaceutical performance.

4. Please tell us your experiences and your thoughts related to research activities abroad.

I completed my undergraduate program in Vietnam as a pharmacist. However, I have always had an interest in pharmaceutical science and drug delivery systems, and the experiences of studying and doing research in Korea helped me to fulfill my ambition to become a scientist in this field. At Ajou University, I have had an opportunity to access innovative technology and exposure to rigorous scientific methodologies, which broadened my perspective and research capability. Moreover, adapting to a new country, both culturally and academically, has fostered a great deal of my personal and professional growth. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Beom-Jin Lee, for his invaluable guidance and to other members of the BACL lab for their encouragement.

5. Can you provide some advice for younger scientists who have plans to study abroad?

Studying abroad is an opportunity, but it is also more or less challenging, so you should be open-minded, curious, resilient, and always keep a positive attitude. In addition, maintaining a healthy work-life balance while studying abroad is difficult but key to both personal well-being and academic success.?Importantly, building strong relationships with your mentors can help you overcome difficulties more effectively and achieve great success.

6. Future plan?

My short-term plan is to complete the Ph.D course with good publications. For my long-term plan, I am interested in pursuing a postdoc position where I can deepen my research of long-acting injectables, ideally in an academic or research institution. I also wish to have an opportunity to collaborate with a pharmaceutical company to transfer my research into clinical application.

7. Do you have anything else that you would like to tell Korean scientists and students?

Korean scientists and students have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and openness when collaborating with foreign researchers. I believe that Korean scientists will continue contributing significantly to advancing science worldwide.