We engineer non-viral gene and cell therapies to restore tissue function across neurological, vascular, and metabolic disease.
We combine precision delivery, cell engineering, and mechanistic studies to develop therapies that restore tissue function.
Non-viral delivery of DNA, RNA, and therapeutic cargo using nanoengineered interfaces, nanoparticles, and extracellular vesicles.
Transient genetic programming to guide cell identity and function, from vascular cell engineering to tissue-level repair.
Therapeutic strategies for neurological injury, neurodegeneration, vascular dysfunction, and metabolic disease.
Tissue Nano-Transfection (TNT) is a non-viral delivery platform that uses a nanochannel interface and pulsed electric fields to enable localized genetic programming in skin and other accessible tissues.
We apply TNT to develop therapeutic cells, extracellular vesicles, and tissue-level regenerative responses.
From targeted lipid signaling to nerve repair and engineered extracellular vesicles, these preclinical studies illustrate the therapeutic versatility of tissue nano-transfection.
By programming skin to elevate the exercise-responsive lipid mediator 12,13-diHOME, TNT offers a novel way to influence systemic physiology. In mice exposed to a high-fat diet, this strategy helped protect the heart against adverse remodeling and functional decline.
Can skin-directed gene delivery help preserve cardiovascular health with age? In aged mice, TNT-mediated elevation of 12,13-diHOME mitigated age-associated cardiac remodeling and helped maintain heart function.
Local nonviral gene delivery to injured nerve tissue can reshape the repair environment. TNT-enabled vasculogenic programming promotes vascular support and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury in preclinical models.
TNT programs skin cells to produce engineered extracellular vesicles carrying therapeutic cargo. In a preclinical breast cancer model, EVs generated from skin near the tumor helped reshape its immune microenvironment and reduce tumor progression.
Illustrations are conceptual representations of published preclinical studies, not experimental images or clinical outcomes.
Our laboratory also engineers living cells as therapeutic agents and targeted delivery systems, extending nonviral cellular programming into brain repair and cancer therapy.
We program fibroblasts toward vasculogenic phenotypes to promote neurovascular regeneration. In a preclinical ischemic stroke model, transplantation of reprogrammed cells improved cerebral perfusion, reduced tissue damage, and supported functional recovery.
Read the research · Science Advances (2021) →
We exploit the natural tumor tropism of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, engineering them to release therapeutic extracellular vesicles inside the tumor microenvironment. In preclinical breast cancer models, these cells delivered anticancer signals associated with reduced invasion and greater tumor-cell death.
Read the research · Advanced Healthcare Materials (2022) →Illustrations are conceptual; outcomes described are from preclinical research.
A glimpse into the biology and engineering behind our research, captured by members of the laboratory.
Selected discoveries in non-viral delivery, cellular programming, and regenerative medicine.
Our research has led to patent-protected approaches in non-viral gene delivery, cellular reprogramming, and therapeutic nanotechnology. Explore the inventions and intellectual property emerging from the laboratory.
Explore Innovation & Intellectual Property →Connecting scientific discoveries with opportunities for therapeutic development.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery · Edgar C. Hendrickson Chair
Daniel Gallego-Perez is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery and the Edgar C. Hendrickson Chair in Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University. He directs the Center for Advanced Nanotherapeutics within the Gene Therapy Institute. His laboratory pioneers non-viral gene delivery and cellular reprogramming technologies—including Tissue Nano-Transfection (TNT)—to develop regenerative therapies for neurological disorders, vascular injury, metabolic disease, and tissue repair. An NIH Director’s New Innovator Award recipient and elected Fellow of AIMBE (2024), BMES (2025), and the American Heart Association (2026), he is committed to translating scientific discoveries into therapeutic technologies and mentoring the next generation of biomedical engineers.
Philanthropic support helps advance scientific discovery, innovative technologies, and training in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. You can support this work through the Ohio State University giving fund.
Give to Our Research ↗Donations are processed by The Ohio State University Foundation on its official giving website.
We welcome collaborators, prospective trainees, and interdisciplinary research partnerships.
