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Biomedicines
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State-of-the-Art Drug Delivery in the UK
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State-of-the-Art Drug Delivery in the UK

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 7663

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ali Nokhodchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pharmaceutics Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
Interests: drug delivery; particle engineering; pulmonary delivery; nanotechnology; dissolution enhancement; controlled-release formulations; transdermal delivery
Dr. Kofi Asare-Addo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: UV imaging in pharmaceuticals; drug-clay complexations; solubility enhancements
Prof. Dr. Raid Alany

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London KT1 2EE, UK
2. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Interests: ophthalmic drugs and delivery systems; veterinary pharmaceuticals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is obvious from research articles published in the literature that massive strides have been made in understanding how diseases develop and progress. In conjunction with this, researchers are also continuing to exert a great deal of effort in their exploration of the different ways that our bodies respond to diseases. This information has been crucial in aiding researchers investigating the field of drug delivery in producing solutions that allow the efficient treatment of diseases. These advances in medicine, biology and engineering have opened new avenues and approaches for drug delivery research. Over the last two decades, drug delivery systems and devices containing small molecules and macromolecules have revolutionized treatment approaches, particularly in the area of cancer. The aim of the current Special Issue is to focus on cutting-edge research in the field of novel drug delivery systems carried out in the United Kingdom. Advancing drug delivery technologies and targeting delivery coupled with other technologies in medicine, biology, chemistry and engineering could pave the way in diagnosing and treating diseases in one step, with the potential to increase life expectancy.

In this Special Issue, we solicit the submission of original articles from researchers based in the UK or review articles where the main focus of the article is research carried out in the UK in the field of drug delivery (based on the keywords below).

Prof. Dr. Ali Nokhodchi
Dr. Kofi Asare-Addo
Prof. Dr. Raid Alany
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomedicines
  • macromolecule delivery
  • 3D printing
  • microneedle
  • transdermal delivery
  • pulmonary delivery
  • nasal delivery
  • ocular delivery
  • brain delivery
  • oral delivery
  • nanofibers
  • novel drug-delivery systems

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 6462 KiB  
Article
Novel Mucoadhesive Wafers for Treating Local Vaginal Infections
by Ahmed Alzainy and Joshua Boateng
Biomedicines 2022, 10(12), 3036; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10123036 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1913
Abstract
Current vaginal formulations, such as gels and pessaries, have limitations, including poor retention. Therefore, the use of mucoadhesive formulations that adhere to the vaginal wall would allow prolonged retention and controlled drug release while reducing the required dose and the potential toxicity associated [...] Read more.
Current vaginal formulations, such as gels and pessaries, have limitations, including poor retention. Therefore, the use of mucoadhesive formulations that adhere to the vaginal wall would allow prolonged retention and controlled drug release while reducing the required dose and the potential toxicity associated with high drug loading. The aim of the current research was to develop, characterize, and optimize freeze-dried wafers loaded with metronidazole (MTz) to treat vaginal bacterial infections. Blank (BLK) composite wafers comprising carrageenan (CARR) and sodium alginate (SA) were initially formulated; however, due to poor physico-chemical properties, Carbopol (CARB), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), and polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG) were included. The MTz-loaded formulations were obtained by loading optimized composite CARB:CARR- or CARB:SA-based gels (modified with HPMC and/or PEG) with 0.75% of MTz prior to freeze-drying. The physico-chemical properties were investigated using texture analysis (resistance to compressive deformation and adhesion), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Functional properties were investigated by examining the swelling, porosity, drug release, and in vitro antimicrobial activity using E. coli as a model infection-causative agent. The results showed that HPMC and PEG generally improved the wafer’s appearance, with smoother surfaces for easy insertion. From the physico-chemical characterization studies, only two composite wafers prepared from 8% CARB:SA 1:4 and 8% CARB:SA 1:9 gels were deemed optimal and loaded with MTz. Both formulations showed sustained drug release and achieved almost 100% cumulative release within 72 h in simulated vaginal fluid. The data obtained from the drug dissolution (release) experiments were fitted to various mathematical equations and showed the highest correlation coefficient with the Higuchi equation, suggesting a drug release based on diffusion from a swollen matrix; this was confirmed by the Korsmeyer–Peppas equation. The released MTz inhibited the growth of the E. coli used as a model bacterial organism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Drug Delivery in the UK)
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19 pages, 3169 KiB  
Article
Eudragit® L100/Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanoparticles Impregnated Mucoadhesive Films as Ocular Inserts for Controlled Delivery of Erythromycin: Development, Characterization and In Vivo Evaluation
by Shahla Mirzaeei, Shiva Taghe, Raid G. Alany and Ali Nokhodchi
Biomedicines 2022, 10(8), 1917; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10081917 - 08 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2588
Abstract
The fast elimination of drugs from the cornea is one of many challenges associated with the topical administration of conventional dosage forms. The present manuscript aimed to prepare modified-release inserts containing erythromycin (ERY) to enhance drug delivery and address the aforementioned limitation. Film [...] Read more.
The fast elimination of drugs from the cornea is one of many challenges associated with the topical administration of conventional dosage forms. The present manuscript aimed to prepare modified-release inserts containing erythromycin (ERY) to enhance drug delivery and address the aforementioned limitation. Film formulations were developed using Eudragit® L100 (EUD) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) polymers. ERY-loaded EUD-based nanoparticles were developed by the colloidal dispersion method using PVA as the emulsifier. The film-casting method was applied to form the mucoadhesive films using sodium alginate, gelatin, cyclodextrin-α, and β as polymeric film matrices. Different physicochemical properties of the optimized formulations and in vitro release profiles were evaluated. The in vivo evaluation was performed by collecting tear samples of rabbits using a novel, non-invasive method following the administration of inserts in the cul-de-sac. The ERY amount was assayed using a microbiological assay. The developed films showed prolonged in vitro and in vivo release profiles over five to six days; they had suitable physicochemical properties and a tensile strength of 2–3 MPa. All formulations exhibited antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus with more than 20 mm diameter of inhibited growth zones. None of the formulations caused irritation to the rabbit’s eye. The inserts showed promising pharmacokinetics with AUC0–120 of 30,000–36,000 µg·h/mL, a Cmax of more than 1800 µg/mL at 4 h, and maintained drug concentration over the threshold of 5 µg/mL during the following 120 h of study. Nanoparticle-containing, mucoadhesive films could be fabricated as ocular inserts and can prolong the topical ocular delivery of ERY. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Drug Delivery in the UK)
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Review

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19 pages, 330 KiB  
Review
The Optimisation of Carrier Selection in Dry Powder Inhaler Formulation and the Role of Surface Energetics
by Olaitan Abiona, David Wyatt, Jasdip Koner and Afzal Mohammed
Biomedicines 2022, 10(11), 2707; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10112707 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2468
Abstract
This review examines the effects of particle properties on drug–carrier interactions in the preparation of a dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation, including appropriate mixing technology. The interactive effects of carrier properties on DPI formulation performance make it difficult to establish a direct cause-and-effect [...] Read more.
This review examines the effects of particle properties on drug–carrier interactions in the preparation of a dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation, including appropriate mixing technology. The interactive effects of carrier properties on DPI formulation performance make it difficult to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between any one carrier property and its effect on the performance of a DPI formulation. Alpha lactose monohydrate remains the most widely used carrier for DPI formulations. The physicochemical properties of α-lactose monohydrate particles, such as particle size, shape and solid form, are profoundly influenced by the method of production. Therefore, wide variations in these properties are inevitable. In this review, the role of surface energetics in the optimisation of dry powder inhaler formulations is considered in lactose carrier selection. Several useful lactose particle modification methods are discussed as well as the use of fine lactose and force control agents in formulation development. It is concluded that where these have been investigated, the empirical nature of the studies does not permit early formulation prediction of product performance, rather they only allow the evaluation of final formulation quality. The potential to leverage particle interaction dynamics through the use of an experimental design utilising quantifiable lactose particle properties and critical quality attributes, e.g., surface energetics, is explored, particularly with respect to when a Quality-by-Design approach has been used in optimisation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Drug Delivery in the UK)
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