Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal 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: closed (10 May 2022) | Viewed by 14559

Special Issue Editors

Department of Health Sciences, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Campus "S. Venuta", Building of BioSciences, I-88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; liposomes; pharmaceutical technology; polymeric micro/nanoparticles; selective targeting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Lab of Biocompatible Polymers, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Interests: carbon nanodots; graphene oxide; smart nanomedicine; cancer theranostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware, the application of biocompatible materials noticeably modulates the physicochemical, biopharmaceutical, and pharmacological properties of several active compounds.

In particular, the nanoencapsulation/complexation of drugs using colloidal delivery systems represents a suitable approach to increase their localization in specific tissues/organs through passive and active targeting strategies, decreasing their side effects.

Moreover, multimodal drug delivery is a key factor to avoid drug resistance phenomena and off-target effects, which normally jeopardize the effectiveness of pharmacological therapies. Among these, the on-demand release of actives by means of several stimuli such as light, ultrasounds, and the magnetic field is an attractive route to selectively act in the site of action.

The aim of this Special Issue is to describe the advancements concerning the development of innovative colloidal formulations for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.

All researchers working in the field are cordially invited to contribute. Original research papers, brief communication reports, as well as review articles, are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Donato Cosco
Dr. Nicolò Mauro
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. Pharmaceutics 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 2900 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

  • biopolymers
  • colloidal structures
  • drug delivery
  • phospholipids
  • photothermal agents
  • (poly)saccharides
  • self-assembling biosystems
  • stimuli-responsive systems
  • theranostics

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 22595 KiB  
Article
Lidocaine-Loaded Hyaluronic Acid Adhesive Microneedle Patch for Oral Mucosal Topical Anesthesia
by Tingting Zhu, Xixi Yu, Xin Yi, Xiaoli Guo, Longhao Li, Yuanping Hao and Wanchun Wang
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(4), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14040686 - 22 Mar 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4099
Abstract
The pain and fear caused by direct local injection of anesthetic or the poor experience with surface anesthetic cream increase the difficulty of clinical treatment for oral diseases. To address this problem, a hyaluronic acid microneedle patch (Li-HAMNs) that consists of fast-dissolving lidocaine [...] Read more.
The pain and fear caused by direct local injection of anesthetic or the poor experience with surface anesthetic cream increase the difficulty of clinical treatment for oral diseases. To address this problem, a hyaluronic acid microneedle patch (Li-HAMNs) that consists of fast-dissolving lidocaine hydrochloride (LDC)-loaded tips and a wet-adhesive backing layer made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na) was fabricated to explore its potential use in dental topical anesthesia. Li-HAMNs could puncture the stratum corneum with an insertion depth of about 279 μm in the isolated porcine oral mucosal. The fast-dissolving tips could release LDC to improve the patients’ convenience and compliance. Importantly, the backing layer, which has good adhesion ability and water-absorbing properties, could surmount the contraction and extension of oral masticatory muscles and the saliva scour. In the tail flick test, the topical anesthesia efficacy of the Li-HAMNs group was much better than clinical lidocaine cream (EMLA cream, LDC, 1.2 mg) in spite of a relatively lower LDC dose with Li-HAMNs (LDC, 0.5 mg). It is believed that the proposed adhesive microneedle patch could enhance transmucosal delivery of anesthetics and thus open a new chapter in the painless treatment of oral diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal Drug Delivery)
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 6426 KiB  
Article
Electrospraying as a Technique for the Controlled Synthesis of Biocompatible PLGA@Ag2S and PLGA@Ag2S@SPION Nanocarriers with Drug Release Capability
by Alexis Alvear-Jiménez, Irene Zabala Gutierrez, Yingli Shen, Gonzalo Villaverde, Laura Lozano-Chamizo, Pablo Guardia, Miguel Tinoco, Beatriz Garcia-Pinel, José Prados, Consolación Melguizo, Manuel López-Romero, Daniel Jaque, Marco Filice and Rafael Contreras-Cáceres
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(1), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14010214 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2852
Abstract
Ag2S nanoparticles are near-infrared (NIR) probes providing emission in a specific spectral range (~1200 nm), and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are colloidal systems able to respond to an external magnetic field. A disadvantage of Ag2S NPs is the [...] Read more.
Ag2S nanoparticles are near-infrared (NIR) probes providing emission in a specific spectral range (~1200 nm), and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are colloidal systems able to respond to an external magnetic field. A disadvantage of Ag2S NPs is the attenuated luminescent properties are reduced in aqueous media and human fluids. Concerning SPION, the main drawback is the generation of undesirable clusters that reduce particle stability. Here, we fabricate biocompatible hybrid nanosystems combining Ag2S NPs and SPION by the electrospraying technique for drug delivery purposes. These nanostructures are composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as the polymeric matrix in connection with both Ag2S NPs and SPIONs. Initially, we fabricate a hybrid colloidal nanosystem composed of Ag2S NPs in connection with PLGA (PLGA@Ag2S) by three different routes, showing good photoluminescent (PL) properties with relatively high average decay times. Then, we incorporate SPIONs, obtaining a PLGA polymeric matrix containing both Ag2S NPs and SPION (PLGA@Ag2S@SPION). Interestingly, in this hybrid system, the location of Ag2S NPs and SPIONs depends on the synthesis route performed during electrospraying. After a detailed characterization, we demonstrate the encapsulation and release capabilities, obtaining the kinetic release using a model chemotherapeutic drug (maslinic acid). Finally, we perform in vitro cytotoxicity assays using drug-loaded hybrid systems against several tumor cell lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal Drug Delivery)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 2497 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nanodots as Functional Excipient to Develop Highly Stable and Smart PLGA Nanoparticles Useful in Cancer Theranostics
by Nicolò Mauro, Mara Andrea Utzeri, Salvatore Emanuele Drago, Gianpiero Buscarino, Gennara Cavallaro and Gaetano Giammona
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(11), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12111012 - 23 Oct 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 1992
Abstract
Theranostic systems have attracted considerable attention for their multifunctional approach to cancer. Among these, carbon nanodots (CDs) emerged as luminescent nanomaterials due to their exceptional chemical properties, synthetic ease, biocompatibility, and for their photothermal and fluorescent properties useful in cancer photothermal therapy. However, [...] Read more.
Theranostic systems have attracted considerable attention for their multifunctional approach to cancer. Among these, carbon nanodots (CDs) emerged as luminescent nanomaterials due to their exceptional chemical properties, synthetic ease, biocompatibility, and for their photothermal and fluorescent properties useful in cancer photothermal therapy. However, premature renal excretion due to the small size of these particles limits their biomedical application. To overcome these limitations, here, hybrid poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-CDs) nanoparticles with suitable size distribution and stability have been developed. CDs were decisive in the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles, not only conferring them photothermal and fluorescent properties, needed in theranostics, but also having a strategic role in the stabilization of the system in aqueous media. In fact, CDs provide stable PLGA-based nanoparticles in aqueous media and sufficient cryoprotection in combination with 1% PVP. While PLGA nanoparticles required at least 5% of sucrose. Comparing nanosystems with different CDs content, it is also evident how these positively impinge on the loading and release of the drug, favoring high drug loading (~4.5%) and a sustained drug release over 48 h. The therapeutic and imaging potentials were finally confirmed through in vitro studies on a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) using fluorescence imaging and the MTS cell viability assay. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal Drug Delivery)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 2007 KiB  
Article
Optimized Birch Bark Extract-Loaded Colloidal Dispersion Using Hydrogenated Phospholipids as Stabilizer
by Francis Kamau Mwiiri and Rolf Daniels
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(9), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12090832 - 31 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2385
Abstract
This study investigated the formulation and processing of aqueous colloidal dispersions containing a birch bark dry extract (TE) as the active substance and hydrogenated phospholipids (Phospholipon 90H) as stabilizer, which can be used in the preparation of electrospun wound dressings. Colloidal dispersions manufactured [...] Read more.
This study investigated the formulation and processing of aqueous colloidal dispersions containing a birch bark dry extract (TE) as the active substance and hydrogenated phospholipids (Phospholipon 90H) as stabilizer, which can be used in the preparation of electrospun wound dressings. Colloidal dispersions manufactured using a two-stage homogenization process had a bimodal particle size distribution, which was most significantly (p < 0.0001) affected by the phospholipid content. The size of the single particles decreased from an average particle size of about 4 µm to a particle size of approximately 400 nm. Dynamic interfacial tension studies performed using a profile analysis tensiometer (PAT) showed that the phospholipids strongly declined the interfacial tension, whereas a further decrease was observed when phospholipids were combined with birch bark extract. Interfacial viscoelasticity properties analyzed using the oscillating drop technique resulted in an increase of both interfacial elasticity and viscosity values. These results indicated that the phospholipids are preferentially located at the lipophilic/water interface and a stable film is formed. Furthermore, the results point to a synergistic interaction between phospholipids and TE. Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) suggested that the TE is predominantly located in the oil phase and the phospholipids at the interface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal Drug Delivery)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 1548 KiB  
Article
Lipid Nanoparticle Inclusion Prevents Capsaicin-Induced TRPV1 Defunctionalization
by Carmelo Puglia, Debora Santonocito, Angela Bonaccorso, Teresa Musumeci, Barbara Ruozi, Rosario Pignatello, Claudia Carbone, Carmela Parenti and Santina Chiechio
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(4), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12040339 - 10 Apr 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Background: Capsaicin (CPS) is a highly selective agonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) with a nanomolar affinity. High doses or prolonged exposure to CPS induces TRPV1 defunctionalization and, although this effect is currently used for the treatment of thermal [...] Read more.
Background: Capsaicin (CPS) is a highly selective agonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) with a nanomolar affinity. High doses or prolonged exposure to CPS induces TRPV1 defunctionalization and, although this effect is currently used for the treatment of thermal hyperalgesia in chronic pain conditions, it is responsible of detrimental effects, such as denervation of sensory fibers. The aim of the present study was to formulate CPS loaded lipid nanocarriers (CPS-LN) in order to optimize CPS release, thus preventing TRPV1 internalization and degradation. Methods: CPS-LNs were formulated and characterized by in vitro studies. The activation of TRPV1 receptors after CPS-LN administration was evaluated by measuring spontaneous pain that was induced by local injection into the plantar surface of the mouse hind-paw. Moreover, the expression of TRPV1 in the skin was evaluated by western blot analysis in CPS-LN injected mice and then compared to a standard CPS solution (CPS-STD). Results: CPS inclusion in LN induced a lower pain response when compared to CPS-STD; further, it prevented TRPV1 down-regulation in the skin, while CPS-STD induced a significant reduction of TRPV1 expression. Conclusions: Drug encapsulation in lipid nanoparticles produced an optimization of CPS release, thus reducing mice pain behavior and avoiding the effects that are caused by TRPV1 defunctionalization related to a prolonged activation of this receptor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Colloidal Systems for Multimodal Drug Delivery)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop