Nanotechnology: A Promising Approach for Drug Delivery

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 5278

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica, Buenos Aires 1113, Argentina
Interests: pharmaceutical technology; nanotechnology; pediatrics; orphan formulations; coenzyme Q10

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica, Buenos Aires 1113, Argentina
Interests: pharmaceutical technology; nanotechnology; pediatrics; orphan formulations; coenzyme Q10

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica, Buenos Aires 1113, Argentina
Interests: pharmaceutical technology; nanotechnology; medicinal plants; mass spectrometry; metabolomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology encompasses a platform in which chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and medicine are combined. In this sense, nanomedicine is one of the leading applications of nanotechnology and the development of delivery systems that allow drugs to be directed to target sites can result in efficient treatment by reducing off-target effects and toxicity. Moreover, nanomaterials are versatile tools that can be tailored to fulfill an intended purpose due to their unique functional characteristics and features. Nanoparticles (NPs) are the platform of choice for drug delivery and include organic, inorganic, metallic and polymer-based NPs including liposomes, micelles, and dendrimers and the efficacy of these NPs is determined by shape, size, and inherent biophysical/chemical factors. In line with this trend, Pharmaceutics will devote a Special Issue entitled “Nanotechnology: A Promising Approach for Drug Delivery” that will include original research articles and comprehensive reviews in this field. The topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Functionalized nanomaterials for cancer therapy, respiratory diseases, ocular applications, cardiovascular diseases, dermatology, neurological disorders, gastroenterology;
  • Functionalized nanomaterials for infection treatment;
  • Novel approaches for drug delivery and controlled drug release.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Edith Lucangioli
Prof. Dr. Valeria Tripodi
Dr. Cecilia B. Dobrecky
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanotechnology 
  • nanomedicine 
  • drug delivery 
  • nanoparticles 
  • functionalization
  • nanotherapy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
Formulation and Characterization of Ursodeoxycholic Acid Nanosuspension Based on Bottom-Up Technology and Box–Behnken Design Optimization
by Oriana Boscolo, Sabrina Flor, Leandro Salvo, Cecilia Dobrecky, Christian Höcht, Valeria Tripodi, Marcela Moretton and Silvia Lucangioli
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(8), 2037; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15082037 - 28 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1209
Abstract
Background: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a therapeutic agent used for the treatment of cholestatic hepatobiliary diseases in pediatric patients. It is a bile acid that presents high lipophilicity, and it belongs to Class II of the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS), which exhibits low [...] Read more.
Background: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a therapeutic agent used for the treatment of cholestatic hepatobiliary diseases in pediatric patients. It is a bile acid that presents high lipophilicity, and it belongs to Class II of the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS), which exhibits low water solubility and high intestinal permeability, which leads to poor oral absorption. The objective of this work was to design and optimize UDCA nanosuspensions by means of the precipitation-ultrasonication method to improve the solubility, dissolution, and oral bioavailability of UDCA. Methods: A three-level, three-factor Box–Behnken design was used to optimize formulation variables and obtain uniform, small-particle-size UDCA nanosuspensions. The independent variables were: stabilizer percentage (X1), amplitude (X2), and sonication time (X3), and the dependent variable was the particle size (Y1). In the precipitation–ultrasonication method, UDCA was dissolved in acetone:PEG 400 (1:1 v/v) and quickly incorporated into the antisolvent (pre-cooled aqueous dispersion of HPMC E-15 0.3%), by means of intense sonication at 50 W for 5 min, controlling temperature through an ice water bath. The lyophilization efficacy was evaluated by means of a cryoprotective efficacy test, working with 10% maltose at −80 °C. The nanosuspensions were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The physicochemical stability was determined at 25 °C and 4 °C at 7, 14, 30, and 60 days, and the UDCA content was analyzed via HPLC-UV. An in vitro dissolution assay and an oral bioavailability study were performed in male Wistar rats. Results: A significant impact was achieved in the optimized nanosuspension with 0.3% (stabilizer), 50 W (amplitude), and 5 min (sonication time), with a particle size of 352.4 nm, PDI of 0.11, and zeta potential of −4.30 mV. It presented adequate physicochemical stability throughout the study and the UDCA content was between 90% and 110%. In total, 86% of UDCA was dissolved in the in vitro dissolution test. The relative oral bioavailability was similar without significant statistical differences when comparing the lyophilized nanosuspension and the commercial tablet, the latter presenting a more erratic behavior. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the nanosuspension and the commercial tablet were Tmax (1.0 ± 0.9 h vs. 2.0 ± 0.8 h, respectively), Cmax (0.558 ± 0.118 vs. 0.366 ± 0.113 µM, respectively), ΔCmax (0.309 ± 0.099 vs. 0.232 ± 0.056, respectively), AUC (4.326 ± 0.471 vs. 2.188 ± 0.353 µg/mL.h, respectively, p < 0.02), and IAUC0–24h (2.261 ± 0.187 µg/mL.h vs. 1.924 ± 0.440 µg/mL.h, respectively). Conclusions: The developed nanosuspension presents an appropriate dosage and administration for pediatric patients. On the other hand, it exhibits an adequate absorption and UDCA oral bioavailability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology: A Promising Approach for Drug Delivery)
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Review

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42 pages, 10987 KiB  
Review
Vitamin E TPGS-Based Nanomedicine, Nanotheranostics, and Targeted Drug Delivery: Past, Present, and Future
by Abhishesh Kumar Mehata, Aseem Setia, Vikas, Ankit Kumar Malik, Rym Hassani, Hamad Ghaleb Dailah, Hassan A. Alhazmi, Ahmed A. Albarraq, Syam Mohan and Madaswamy S. Muthu
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(3), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15030722 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3525
Abstract
It has been seventy years since a water-soluble version of vitamin E called tocophersolan (also known as TPGS) was produced; it was approved by USFDA in 1998 as an inactive ingredient. Drug formulation developers were initially intrigued by its surfactant qualities, and gradually [...] Read more.
It has been seventy years since a water-soluble version of vitamin E called tocophersolan (also known as TPGS) was produced; it was approved by USFDA in 1998 as an inactive ingredient. Drug formulation developers were initially intrigued by its surfactant qualities, and gradually it made its way into the toolkit of pharmaceutical drug delivery. Since then, four drugs with TPGS in their formulation have been approved for sale in the United States and Europe including ibuprofen, tipranavir, amprenavir, and tocophersolan. Improvement and implementation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for disease are goals of nanomedicine and the succeeding field of nanotheranostics. Specifically, imaging and treating tumors with nanohybrid theranostics shows promising potential. Docetaxel, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin are examples of poorly bioavailable therapeutic agents; hence, much effort is applied for developing TPGS-based nanomedicine, nanotheranostics, and targeted drug delivery systems to increase circulation time and promote the reticular endothelial escape of these drug delivery systems. TPGS has been used in a number of ways for improving drug solubility, bioavailability improvement, and prevention of drug efflux from the targeted cells, which makes it an excellent candidate for therapeutic delivery. Through the downregulation of P-gp expression and modulation of efflux pump activity, TPGS can also mitigate multidrug resistance (MDR). Novel materials such as TPGS-based copolymers are being studied for their potential use in various diseases. In recent clinical trials, TPGS has been utilized in a huge number of Phase I, II, and III studies. Additionally, numerous TPGS-based nanomedicine and nanotheranostic applications are reported in the literature which are in their preclinical stage. However, various randomized or human clinical trials have been underway for TPGS-based drug delivery systems for multiple diseases such as pneumonia, malaria, ocular disease, keratoconus, etc. In this review, we have emphasized in detail the review of the nanotheranostics and targeted drug delivery approaches premised on TPGS. In addition, we have covered various therapeutic systems involving TPGS and its analogs with special references to its patent and clinical trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology: A Promising Approach for Drug Delivery)
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