Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 3174 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Smart Drug Delivery System Based on Biodegradable Chitosan/Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) Blend Films

by Muhammad Sohail Sarwar, Qingrong Huang, Abdul Ghaffar, Muhmmad Amin Abid, Muhammad Sohail Zafar, Zohaib Khurshid and Muhammad Latif

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12020131 - 04 Feb 2020

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 5756

Abstract

The amalgamation of natural polysaccharides with synthetic polymers often produces fruitful results in the area of drug delivery due to their biodegradable and biocompatible nature. In this study, a series of blend films composed of chitosan (CS)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) in different compositions were [...] Read more.

The amalgamation of natural polysaccharides with synthetic polymers often produces fruitful results in the area of drug delivery due to their biodegradable and biocompatible nature. In this study, a series of blend films composed of chitosan (CS)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) in different compositions were prepared as smart drug delivery matrices. The properties of these polymeric films were then explored. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis confirmed an intermolecular hydrogen bonding between CS and PAH. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed improvements in surface morphology as the percentage of PAH in the blend films increased up to 60% (w/w). Water contact angle (WCA) ranged between 97° to 115°, exhibiting the hydrophobic nature of the films. Two films were selected, CTH-1 (90% CS and 10% PAH) and CTH-2 (80% CS and 20% PAH), to test for in vitro cumulative drug release (%) at 37 ± 0.5 °C as a function of time. It was revealed that for simulated gastric fluid (SGF) with pH 1.2, the cumulative drug release (CDR) for CTH-1 and CTH-2 was around 88% and 85% in 50 min, respectively. Both films converted into gel-like material after 30 min. On the other hand, in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution, the maximum CDR for CTH-1 and CTH-2 was 93% in 90 min and 98% in 120 min, respectively. After 120 min, these films became fragments. Sustained drug release was observed in PBS, as compared to SGF, because of the poor stability of the films in the latter. These results demonstrate the excellent potential of blend films in sustained-release drug delivery systems for hydrophilic or unstable drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 6750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metal Organic Framework@Polysilsesequioxane Core/Shell-Structured Nanoplatform for Drug Delivery

by Liangyu Lu, Mengyu Ma, Chengtao Gao, Hongwei Li, Long Li, Fuping Dong and Yuzhu Xiong

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(2), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12020098 - 25 Jan 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3971

Abstract

Modern pharmaceutics requires novel drug loading platforms with high drug loading capacity, controlled release, high stability, and good biocompacity. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising applications in biomedicine owing to their extraordinarily high surface area, tunable pore size, and adjustable internal surface properties. However, [...] Read more.

Modern pharmaceutics requires novel drug loading platforms with high drug loading capacity, controlled release, high stability, and good biocompacity. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising applications in biomedicine owing to their extraordinarily high surface area, tunable pore size, and adjustable internal surface properties. However, MOFs have low stability due to weak coordinate bonding and limited biocompatibility, limiting their bioapplication. In this study, we fabricated MOFs/polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) nanocomposites and utilized them as drug carriers. Amine-functionalized MOF (UiO-66-NH₂) nanoparticles were synthesized and encapsulated with epoxy-functionalized polysilsesquioxane layer on the surface via a facile process. MOFs possessed high surface area and regular micropores, and PSQs offered stability, inertness, and functionality. The obtained UiO-66-NH₂@EPSQ nanocomposites were utilized as carriers for ibuprofen, a drug with carboxylic groups on the surface, and demonstrated high drug loading capacity and well-controlled release property. The UiO-66-NH₂@EPSQ nanocomposite exhibited low cytotoxicity to HeLa cells within a wide concentration range of 10–100 µg/mL, as estimated by the MTT method. The UiO-66-NH₂@EPSQ drug release system could be a potential platform in the field of controlled drug delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pectin and Zinc Alginate: The Right Inner/Outer Polymer Combination for Core-Shell Drug Delivery Systems

by Giulia Auriemma, Andrea Cerciello, Rita P. Aquino, Pasquale Del Gaudio, Bruno M. Fusco and Paola Russo

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12020087 - 21 Jan 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2974

Abstract

Core-shell beads loaded with betamethasone were developed using co-axial prilling as production technique and pectin plus alginate as polymeric carriers. During this study, many operative conditions were intensively investigated to find the best ones necessary to produce uniform core-shell particle systems in a [...] Read more.

Core-shell beads loaded with betamethasone were developed using co-axial prilling as production technique and pectin plus alginate as polymeric carriers. During this study, many operative conditions were intensively investigated to find the best ones necessary to produce uniform core-shell particle systems in a reproducible way. Particularly, feed solutions’ composition, polymers mass ratios and the effect of the main process parameters on particles production, micromeritics, inner structure, drug loading and drug-release/swelling profiles in simulated biological fluids were studied. The optimized core-shell formulation F5 produced with a pectin core concentration of 4.0% w/v and an alginate shell concentration of 2.0% w/v (2:1 core:shell ratio) acted as a sustained drug delivery system. It was able to reduce the early release of the drug in the upper part of the gastro-intestinal tract for the presence of the zinc-alginate gastro-resistant outer layer and to specifically deliver it in the colon, thanks to the selectivity of amidated low methoxy pectin core for this district. Therefore, these particles may be proposed as colon targeted drug delivery systems useful for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6672 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silica-Polymer Composites as the Novel Antibiotic Delivery Systems for Bone Tissue Infection

by Adrianna Skwira, Adrian Szewczyk, Agnieszka Konopacka, Monika Górska, Dorota Majda, Rafał Sądej and Magdalena Prokopowicz

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12010028 - 30 Dec 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3717

Abstract

Bone tissue inflammation, osteomyelitis, is commonly caused by bacterial invasion and requires prolonged antibiotic therapy for weeks or months. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop novel silica-polymer local bone antibiotic delivery systems characterized by a sustained release of ciprofloxacin [...] Read more.

Bone tissue inflammation, osteomyelitis, is commonly caused by bacterial invasion and requires prolonged antibiotic therapy for weeks or months. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop novel silica-polymer local bone antibiotic delivery systems characterized by a sustained release of ciprofloxacin (CIP) which remain active against Staphylococcus aureus for a few weeks, and do not have a toxic effect towards human osteoblasts. Four formulations composed of ethylcellulose (EC), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), freeze-dried CIP, and CIP-adsorbed mesoporous silica materials (MCM-41-CIP) were prepared via solvent-evaporation blending method. All obtained composites were characterized in terms of molecular structure, morphological, and structural properties by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro antibiotic release. The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) as well as the in vitro cytocompatibility to human osteoblasts of obtained composites were also examined. Physicochemical results confirmed the presence of particular components (FTIR), formation of continuous polymer phase onto the surface of freeze-dried CIP or MCM-41-CIP (SEM/EDX), and semi-crystalline (composites containing freeze-dried CIP) or amorphous (composites containing MCM-41-CIP) structure (XRD). TGA and DSC analysis indicated the high thermal stability of CIP adsorbed onto the MCM-41, and higher after MCM-41-CIP coating with polymer blend. The release study revealed the significant reduction in initial burst of CIP for the composites which contained MCM-41-CIP instead of freeze-dried CIP. These composites were also characterized by the 30-day activity against S. aureus and the highest cytocompatibility to human osteoblasts in vitro. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 14014 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nanohydrogels Based on Self-Assembly of Cationic Pullulan and Anionic Dextran Derivatives for Efficient Delivery of Piroxicam

by Dorota Lachowicz, Przemyslaw Mielczarek, Roma Wirecka, Katarzyna Berent, Anna Karewicz, Michał Szuwarzyński and Szczepan Zapotoczny

Pharmaceutics 2019, 11(12), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11120622 - 21 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3640

Abstract

A cationic derivative of pullulan was obtained by grafting reaction and used together with dextran sulfate to form polysaccharide-based nanohydrogel cross-linked via electrostatic interactions between polyions. Due to the polycation-polyanion interactions nanohydrogel particles were formed instantly and spontaneously in water. The nanoparticles were [...] Read more.

A cationic derivative of pullulan was obtained by grafting reaction and used together with dextran sulfate to form polysaccharide-based nanohydrogel cross-linked via electrostatic interactions between polyions. Due to the polycation-polyanion interactions nanohydrogel particles were formed instantly and spontaneously in water. The nanoparticles were colloidally stable and their size and surface charge could be controlled by the polycation/polyanion ratio. The morphology of the obtained particles was visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The resulting structures were spherical, with hydrodynamic diameters in the range of 100–150 nm. The binding constant (K_a) of a model drug, piroxicam, to the cationic pullulan (C-PUL) was determined by spectrophotometric measurements. The value of K_a was calculated according to the Benesi—Hildebrand equation to be (3.6 ± 0.2) × 10³ M⁻¹. After binding to cationic pullulan, piroxicam was effectively entrapped inside the nanohydrogel particles and released in a controlled way. The obtained system was efficiently taken up by cells and was shown to be biocompatible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

36 pages, 6337 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Manufacturing Innovative Stents

by Natalia Beshchasna, Muhammad Saqib, Honorata Kraskiewicz, Łukasz Wasyluk, Oleg Kuzmin, Oana Cristina Duta, Denisa Ficai, Zeno Ghizdavet, Alexandru Marin, Anton Ficai, Zhilei Sun, Vladimir F. Pichugin, Joerg Opitz and Ecaterina Andronescu

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(4), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12040349 - 13 Apr 2020

Cited by 75 | Viewed by 9205

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are the most distributed cause of death worldwide. Stenting of arteries as a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedure became a promising minimally invasive therapy based on re-opening narrowed arteries by stent insertion. In order to improve and optimize this method, many research [...] Read more.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most distributed cause of death worldwide. Stenting of arteries as a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedure became a promising minimally invasive therapy based on re-opening narrowed arteries by stent insertion. In order to improve and optimize this method, many research groups are focusing on designing new or improving existent stents. Since the beginning of the stent development in 1986, starting with bare-metal stents (BMS), these devices have been continuously enhanced by applying new materials, developing stent coatings based on inorganic and organic compounds including drugs, nanoparticles or biological components such as genes and cells, as well as adapting stent designs with different fabrication technologies. Drug eluting stents (DES) have been developed to overcome the main shortcomings of BMS or coated stents. Coatings are mainly applied to control biocompatibility, degradation rate, protein adsorption, and allow adequate endothelialization in order to ensure better clinical outcome of BMS, reducing restenosis and thrombosis. As coating materials (i) organic polymers: polyurethanes, poly(ε-caprolactone), styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene, polyhydroxybutyrates, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), and phosphoryl choline; (ii) biological components: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-CD34 antibody and (iii) inorganic coatings: noble metals, wide class of oxides, nitrides, silicide and carbide, hydroxyapatite, diamond-like carbon, and others are used. DES were developed to reduce the tissue hyperplasia and in-stent restenosis utilizing antiproliferative substances like paclitaxel, limus (siro-, zotaro-, evero-, bio-, amphi-, tacro-limus), ABT-578, tyrphostin AGL-2043, genes, etc. The innovative solutions aim at overcoming the main limitations of the stent technology, such as in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis, while maintaining the prime requirements on biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical behavior. This paper provides an overview of the existing stent types, their functionality, materials, and manufacturing conditions demonstrating the still huge potential for the development of promising stent solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3005 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polymeric Nanocarriers of Drug Delivery Systems in Cancer Therapy

by Nataša Avramović, Boris Mandić, Ana Savić-Radojević and Tatjana Simić

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(4), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12040298 - 25 Mar 2020

Cited by 155 | Viewed by 9864

Abstract

Conventional chemotherapy is the most common therapeutic method for treating cancer by the application of small toxic molecules thatinteract with DNA and causecell death. Unfortunately, these chemotherapeutic agents are non-selective and can damage both cancer and healthy tissues, producing diverse side effects, andthey [...] Read more.

Conventional chemotherapy is the most common therapeutic method for treating cancer by the application of small toxic molecules thatinteract with DNA and causecell death. Unfortunately, these chemotherapeutic agents are non-selective and can damage both cancer and healthy tissues, producing diverse side effects, andthey can have a short circulation half-life and limited targeting. Many synthetic polymers have found application as nanocarriers of intelligent drug delivery systems (DDSs). Their unique physicochemical properties allow them to carry drugs with high efficiency, specificallytarget cancer tissue and control drug release. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to design smart nanoplatforms, including amphiphilic block copolymers, polymer-drug conjugates and in particular pH- and redox-stimuli-responsive nanoparticles (NPs). This review is focused on a new generation of polymer-based DDSs with specific chemical functionalities that improve their hydrophilicity, drug loading and cellular interactions.Recentlydesigned multifunctional DDSs used in cancer therapy are highlighted in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3298 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanoconjugation and Encapsulation Strategies for Improving Drug Delivery and Therapeutic Efficacy of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

by Thao T. D. Tran and Phuong H. L. Tran

Pharmaceutics 2019, 11(7), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11070325 - 10 Jul 2019

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 4807

Abstract

Nanoconjugations have been demonstrated to be a dominant strategy for drug delivery and biomedical applications. In this review, we intend to describe several strategies for drug formulation, especially to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble molecules for future application in the therapy of [...] Read more.

Nanoconjugations have been demonstrated to be a dominant strategy for drug delivery and biomedical applications. In this review, we intend to describe several strategies for drug formulation, especially to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble molecules for future application in the therapy of numerous diseases. The context of current studies will give readers an overview of the conjugation strategies for fabricating nanoparticles, which have expanded from conjugated materials to the surface conjugation of nanovehicles. Moreover, nanoconjugates for theranostics are also discussed and highlighted. Overall, these state-of-the-art conjugation methods and these techniques and applications for nanoparticulate systems of poorly water-soluble drugs will inspire scientists to explore and discover more productive techniques and methodologies for drug development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Innovative Drug Delivery Platforms: From Natural to Engineered Materials

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI