Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 57880

Special Issue Editor

Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; micro/nano carriers; new technologies for drug carriers development; innovative drug carriers; biopolymers; liposomes; nanogels
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Several technologies have evolved in the past 10 years for the development of micro and nano systems for drug carry and delivery; they allow the production of a huge amount of advanced biomaterials very promising for both pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. On the other hand, an accurate device formulation and engineering, its size tailoring and encapsulation efficiency are, in several cases, still a technological challenge of the next future.

From nanovesicles and nanosomes up to micro/nano biopolymer systems, the special issue will explore the different solutions adopted and the several approaches attempted to formulate complex micro/nano devices for active principle storage and delivery versus specific target. The authors will cover all relevant sections in this field from technologies itself and the corresponding outcomes, as well as, special aspects of analytics evaluation of carrier’s efficacy. Expert panel from both industry and academia with a primary emphasis on addressing the needs and interests of both academic and industrial readers are welcome in order to explore how the research field is evolving and what the future might bring.

Prof. Giovanna Della Porta
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • micro/nano carriers
  • innovative drug carriers
  • drug delivery
  • biopolymers
  • liposomes
  • nanogels

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 176 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial: Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery
by Giovanna Della Porta
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(7), 1440; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14071440 - 09 Jul 2022
Viewed by 962
Abstract
In this Issue, I have collected ten research papers and four review articles trying to describe the technologies that have evolved in the past ten years for the development of micro and nano systems for drug carry, targeting and delivery [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)

Research

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15 pages, 6593 KiB  
Article
Manganese in Diagnostics: A Preformulatory Study
by Maddalena Sguizzato, Walter Pula, Anna Bordin, Antonella Pagnoni, Markus Drechsler, Lorenza Marvelli and Rita Cortesi
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(1), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14010108 - 03 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1423
Abstract
This investigation aims to find lipid-based nanosystems to be used as tools to deliver manganese for diagnostic purposes in multimodal imaging techniques. In particular, the study describes the production and characterization of aqueous dispersions of anionic liposomes as delivery systems for two model [...] Read more.
This investigation aims to find lipid-based nanosystems to be used as tools to deliver manganese for diagnostic purposes in multimodal imaging techniques. In particular, the study describes the production and characterization of aqueous dispersions of anionic liposomes as delivery systems for two model manganese-based compounds, namely manganese chloride and manganese acetylacetonate. Negatively charged liposomes were obtained using four different anionic surfactants, namely sodium docusate (SD), N-lauroylsarcosine (NLS), Protelan AG8 (PAG) and sodium lauroyl lactylate (SLL). Liposomes were produced by the direct hydration method followed by extrusion and characterized in terms of size, polydispersity, surface charge and stability over time. After extrusion, liposomes are homogeneous and monodispersed with an average diameter not exceeding 200 nm and a negative surface charge as confirmed by ζ potential measurement. Moreover, as indicated by atomic absorption spectroscopy analyses, the loading of manganese-based compounds was almost quantitative. Liposomes containing NLS or SLL were the most stable over time and the presence of manganese-based compounds did not affect their size distribution. Liposomes containing PAG and SD were instable and therefore discarded. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the selected anionic liposomes was evaluated by MTT assay on human keratinocyte. The obtained results highlighted that the toxicity of the formulations is dose dependent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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24 pages, 4585 KiB  
Article
Annatto Oil Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A Potential New Treatment for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
by Marianna Araújo Ferreira, Renato Ferreira de Almeida Júnior, Thiago Souza Onofre, Bruna Renata Casadei, Kleber Juvenal Silva Farias, Patricia Severino, Camilo Flamarion de Oliveira Franco, Fernanda Nervo Raffin, Túlio Flávio Accioly de Lima e Moura and Raquel de Melo Barbosa
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(11), 1912; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13111912 - 11 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2365
Abstract
Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is extensively used as food pigment worldwide. Recently, several studies have found it to have healing and antioxidant properties, as well as effective action against leishmaniasis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the oil obtained [...] Read more.
Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is extensively used as food pigment worldwide. Recently, several studies have found it to have healing and antioxidant properties, as well as effective action against leishmaniasis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the oil obtained from annatto seeds into a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) and evaluate its physicochemical properties and biological activity against Leishmania major. Nanoparticles were prepared by the fusion-emulsification and ultrasonication method, with the components Synperonic™ PE (PL) as the surfactant, cetyl palmitate (CP) or myristyl myristate (MM) as solid lipids, annatto oil (AO) (2% and 4%, w/w) as liquid lipid and active ingredient, and ultra-pure water. Physicochemical and biological characterizations were carried out to describe the NLCs, including particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP) by dynamic light scattering (DLS), encapsulation efficiency (EE%), thermal behavior, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), cytotoxicity on BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts and immortalized human keratinocyte cells, and anti-leishmaniasis activity in vitro. Nanoparticles presented an average diameter of ~200 nm (confirmed by TEM results), a PDI of less than 0.30, ZP between −12.6 and −31.2 mV, and more than 50% of AO encapsulated in NLCs. Thermal analyses demonstrated that the systems were stable at high temperatures with a decrease in crystalline structure due to the presence of AOs (confirmed by XRD). In vitro, the anti-leishmania test displayed good activity in encapsulating AO against L. major. The results indicate that the oily fraction of Bixa orellana L. in NLC systems should be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent against leishmaniasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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16 pages, 2214 KiB  
Article
A Traffic Light System to Maximize Carbohydrate Cryoprotectants’ Effectivity in Nanostructured Lipid Carriers’ Lyophilization
by Helena Rouco, Patricia Diaz-Rodriguez, Alba Guillin, Carmen Remuñán-López and Mariana Landin
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(9), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13091330 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2423
Abstract
Lyophilization is often employed to transform nanoparticle suspensions to stable solid forms. This work proposed Neurofuzzy Logic (NFL) to better understand the lyophilization process of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers’ (NLCs) dispersions and the carbohydrate cryoprotectants’ (CPs) performance in these processes. NLCs were produced by [...] Read more.
Lyophilization is often employed to transform nanoparticle suspensions to stable solid forms. This work proposed Neurofuzzy Logic (NFL) to better understand the lyophilization process of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers’ (NLCs) dispersions and the carbohydrate cryoprotectants’ (CPs) performance in these processes. NLCs were produced by hot homogenization, frozen at different speeds, and lyophilized using several CPs at variable concentrations. NLCs were characterized, and results were expressed as increase in particle size (Δ size), polydispersity (Δ PdI), and zeta potential (Δ ZP) of lyophilized powders (LP) regarding initial dispersions. CPs were classified according to their molecular weights (MW), and the osmolarities (Π) of CPs solutions were also determined. Databases obtained were finally modelled through FormRules® (Intelligensys Ltd., Kirkwall, Scotland, UK), an NFL software. NFL models revealed that CPs’ MW determines the optimal freezing conditions and CPs’ proportions. The knowledge generated allowed the establishment of a traffic light system intended to successfully select and apply sugars for nanoparticles lyophilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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19 pages, 3198 KiB  
Article
Lyophilization Preserves the Intrinsic Cardioprotective Activity of Bioinspired Cell-Derived Nanovesicles
by Yub Raj Neupane, Chenyuan Huang, Xiaoyuan Wang, Wei Heng Chng, Gopalakrishnan Venkatesan, Olga Zharkova, Matthias Gerhard Wacker, Bertrand Czarny, Gerrit Storm, Jiong-Wei Wang and Giorgia Pastorin
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(7), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13071052 - 09 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4645
Abstract
Recently, bioinspired cell-derived nanovesicles (CDNs) have gained much interest in the field of nanomedicine due to the preservation of biomolecular structure characteristics derived from their parent cells, which impart CDNs with unique properties in terms of binding and uptake by target cells and [...] Read more.
Recently, bioinspired cell-derived nanovesicles (CDNs) have gained much interest in the field of nanomedicine due to the preservation of biomolecular structure characteristics derived from their parent cells, which impart CDNs with unique properties in terms of binding and uptake by target cells and intrinsic biological activities. Although the production of CDNs can be easily and reproducibly achieved with any kind of cell culture, application of CDNs for therapeutic purposes has been greatly hampered by their physical and chemical instability during long-term storage in aqueous dispersion. In the present study, we conceived a lyophilization approach that would preserve critical characteristics regarding stability (vesicles’ size and protein content), structural integrity, and biological activity of CDNs for enabling long-term storage in freeze-dried form. Compared to the lyoprotectant sucrose, trehalose-lyoprotected CDNs showed significantly higher glass transition temperature and lower residual moisture content. As assessed by ATR-FTIR and far-UV circular dichroism, lyophilization in the presence of the lyoprotectant effectively maintained the secondary structure of cellular proteins. After reconstitution, lyoprotected CDNs were efficiently associated with HeLa cells, CT26 cells, and bone marrow-derived macrophages at a rate comparable to the freshly prepared CDNs. In vivo, both lyoprotected and freshly prepared CDNs, for the first time ever reported, targeted the injured heart, and exerted intrinsic cardioprotective effects within 24 h, attributable to the antioxidant capacity of CDNs in a myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury animal model. Taken together, these results pave the way for further development of CDNs as cell-based therapeutics stabilized by lyophilization that enabled long-term storage while preserving their activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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16 pages, 5774 KiB  
Article
Iron Oxide Mesoporous Magnetic Nanostructures with High Surface Area for Enhanced and Selective Drug Delivery to Metastatic Cancer Cells
by Kheireddine El-Boubbou, Rizwan Ali, Sulaiman Al-Humaid, Alshaimaa Alhallaj, O. M. Lemine, Mohamed Boudjelal and Abdulmohsen AlKushi
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(4), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13040553 - 14 Apr 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2251
Abstract
This work reports the fabrication of iron oxide mesoporous magnetic nanostructures (IO-MMNs) via the nano-replication method using acid-prepared mesoporous spheres (APMS) as the rigid silica host and iron (III) nitrate as the iron precursor. The obtained nanosized mesostructures were fully characterized by SEM, [...] Read more.
This work reports the fabrication of iron oxide mesoporous magnetic nanostructures (IO-MMNs) via the nano-replication method using acid-prepared mesoporous spheres (APMS) as the rigid silica host and iron (III) nitrate as the iron precursor. The obtained nanosized mesostructures were fully characterized by SEM, TEM, DLS, FTIR, XRD, VSM, and nitrogen physisorption. IO-MMNs exhibited relatively high surface areas and large pore volumes (SBET = 70–120 m2/g and Vpore = 0.25–0.45 cm3/g), small sizes (~300 nm), good crystallinity and magnetization, and excellent biocompatibility. With their intrinsic porosities, high drug loading efficiencies (up to 70%) were achieved and the drug release rates were found to be pH-dependent. Cytotoxicity, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry experiments against different types of cancerous cells indicated that Dox-loaded IO-MMNs reduced the viability of metastatic MCF-7 and KAIMRC-1 breast as well as HT-29 colon cancer cells, with the least uptake and toxicity towards normal primary cells (up to 4-fold enhancement). These results strongly suggest the potential use of IO-MMNs as promising agents for enhanced and effective drug delivery in cancer theranostics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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25 pages, 3032 KiB  
Article
Hybrid System for Local Drug Delivery and Magnetic Hyperthermia Based on SPIONs Loaded with Doxorubicin and Epirubicin
by Dorota Nieciecka, Joanna Celej, Michał Żuk, Agnieszka Majkowska-Pilip, Kinga Żelechowska-Matysiak, Antoni Lis and Magdalena Osial
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(4), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13040480 - 01 Apr 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2911
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide, thus new solutions in anticancer therapies are highly sought after. In this work, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) conjugated with anticancer drugs are synthesized and investigated as potential magnetic drug nanocarriers for [...] Read more.
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide, thus new solutions in anticancer therapies are highly sought after. In this work, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) conjugated with anticancer drugs are synthesized and investigated as potential magnetic drug nanocarriers for local drug delivery and mild magnetic hyperthermia. We have obtained a hybrid system loaded with holmium and anticancer drugs and thoroughly studied it with respect to the size, morphology, surface modifications and magnetic properties, and interactions with the model of biological membranes, cytotoxicity. We present that nanoparticles having a round shape and size 15 nm are successfully stabilized to avoid their agglomeration and modified with doxorubicin or epirubicin within a controlled way. The number of drugs loaded into the SPIONs was confirmed with thermogravimetry. The hybrid based on SPIONs was investigated in touch with model biological membranes within the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, and results show that modified SPION interacts effectively with them. Results obtained with magnetic hyperthermia and biological studies confirm the promising properties of the hybrid towards future cancer cell treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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17 pages, 5601 KiB  
Article
The Combination of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel Constructs and Parallel Flow Chamber Provides a Potential Alternative to In Vivo Drug Testing Models
by Wanjiku Njoroge, Andrea C. Hernández Hernández, Faiza Idris Musa, Robert Butler, Alan G. S. Harper and Ying Yang
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(3), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13030340 - 05 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1999
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death globally. This has led to significant efforts to develop new anti-thrombotic therapies or re-purpose existing drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases. Due to difficulties of obtaining healthy human blood vessel tissues to recreate in vivo conditions, [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death globally. This has led to significant efforts to develop new anti-thrombotic therapies or re-purpose existing drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases. Due to difficulties of obtaining healthy human blood vessel tissues to recreate in vivo conditions, pre-clinical testing of these drugs currently requires significant use of animal experimentation, however, the successful translation of drugs from animal tests to use in humans is poor. Developing humanised drug test models that better replicate the human vasculature will help to develop anti-thrombotic therapies more rapidly. Tissue-engineered human blood vessel (TEBV) models were fabricated with biomimetic matrix and cellular components. The pro- and anti-aggregatory properties of both intact and FeCl3-injured TEBVs were assessed under physiological flow conditions using a modified parallel-plate flow chamber. These were perfused with fluorescently labelled human platelets and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and their responses were monitored in real-time using fluorescent imaging. An endothelium-free TEBV exhibited the capacity to trigger platelet activation and aggregation in a shear stress-dependent manner, similar to the responses observed in vivo. Ketamine is commonly used as an anaesthetic in current in vivo models, but this drug significantly inhibited platelet aggregation on the injured TEBV. Atorvastatin was also shown to enhance EPC attachment on the injured TEBV. The TEBV, when perfused with human blood or blood components under physiological conditions, provides a powerful alternative to current in vivo drug testing models to assess their effects on thrombus formation and EPC recruitment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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19 pages, 3603 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Cryo-TEM Reveals New Structural Details of Doxil-Like PEGylated Liposomal Doxorubicin Formulation
by Rickard Nordström, Lin Zhu, Johan Härmark, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Erez Koren, Yechezkel Barenholz, Genia Levinton and Dima Shamrakov
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(1), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13010123 - 19 Jan 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4987
Abstract
Nano-drugs based on nanoparticles (NP) or on nano-assemblies as carriers of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) are often expected to perform better compared to conventional dosage forms. Maximum realization of this potential though requires optimization of multiple physico-chemical, including structural and morphological, parameters. [...] Read more.
Nano-drugs based on nanoparticles (NP) or on nano-assemblies as carriers of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) are often expected to perform better compared to conventional dosage forms. Maximum realization of this potential though requires optimization of multiple physico-chemical, including structural and morphological, parameters. Meaningful distributions of these parameters derived from sufficient populations of individual NPs rather than ensemble distributions are desirable for this task, provided that relevant high-resolution data is available. In this study we demonstrate powerful capabilities of the up-to-date cryogenic transmission electron-microscopy (cryo-TEM) as well as correlations with other techniques abundant in the nano-research milieu. We explored Doxil®-like (an anticancer drug and the first FDA-approved nano-drug) (75–100 nm) PEGylated liposomes encapsulating single doxorubicin-sulfate nano-rod-crystals (PLD). These crystals induce liposome sphere-to-ellipsoid deformation. Doxil® was characterized by a multitude of physicochemical methods. We demonstrate, that accompanied by advanced image-analysis means, cryo-TEM can successfully enable the determination of multiple structural parameters of such complex liposomal nano-drugs with an added value of statistically-sound distributions. The latter could not be achieved by most other physicochemical approaches. It seems that cryo-TEM is capable of quantitative description of individual liposome morphological features, including meaningful distributions of all structural elements, with averages that correlate with other physical methods. Here it is demonstrated that such quantitative cryo-TEM analysis is a powerful tool in determining what is the optimal drug to lipid ratio in PLD, which is found to be the drug to lipid ratio existing in Doxil®. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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15 pages, 1963 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nano-Onions Reinforced Multilayered Thin Film System for Stimuli-Responsive Drug Release
by Narsimha Mamidi, Ramiro Manuel Velasco Delgadillo, Aldo Gonzáles Ortiz and Enrique V. Barrera
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(12), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12121208 - 13 Dec 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3017
Abstract
Herein, poly (N-(4-aminophenyl) methacrylamide))-carbon nano-onions (PAPMA-CNOs = f-CNOs) and anilinated-poly (ether ether ketone) (AN-PEEK) have synthesized, and AN-PEEK/f-CNOs composite thin films were primed via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly for stimuli-responsive drug release. The obtained thin films exhibited pH-responsive drug release in a [...] Read more.
Herein, poly (N-(4-aminophenyl) methacrylamide))-carbon nano-onions (PAPMA-CNOs = f-CNOs) and anilinated-poly (ether ether ketone) (AN-PEEK) have synthesized, and AN-PEEK/f-CNOs composite thin films were primed via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly for stimuli-responsive drug release. The obtained thin films exhibited pH-responsive drug release in a controlled manner; pH 4.5 = 99.2% and pH 6.5 = 59.3% of doxorubicin (DOX) release was observed over 15 days. Supramolecular π-π stacking interactions between f-CNOs and DOX played a critical role in controlling drug release from thin films. Cell viability was studied with human osteoblast cells and augmented viability was perceived. Moreover, the thin films presented 891.4 ± 8.2 MPa of the tensile strength (σult), 43.2 ± 1.1 GPa of Young’s modulus (E), and 164.5 ± 1.7 Jg−1 of toughness (K). Quantitative scrutiny revealed that the well-ordered aligned nanofibers provide critical interphase, and this could be responsible for augmented tensile properties. Nonetheless, a pH-responsive and mechanically robust biocompatible thin-film system may show potential applications in the biomedical field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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15 pages, 3073 KiB  
Article
Non-Invasive Delivery of Nano-Emulsified Sesame Oil-Extract of Turmeric Attenuates Lung Inflammation
by Sahibzada Tasleem Rasool, Rajasekhar Reddy Alavala, Umasankar Kulandaivelu and Nagaraja Sreeharsha
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(12), 1206; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12121206 - 11 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6847
Abstract
Turmeric, the golden Indian spice, and the edible oil of sesame seeds are the essential ingredients of Indian food created by ancestors and established the belief of the curative effect of food for many generations. Considering the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric, we formulated [...] Read more.
Turmeric, the golden Indian spice, and the edible oil of sesame seeds are the essential ingredients of Indian food created by ancestors and established the belief of the curative effect of food for many generations. Considering the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric, we formulated a nano-emulsion of turmeric infused in edible sesame oil, with a globule size of 200–250 nm using high-energy microfluidization. The product with a zeta potential of −11.5 mV showed spherical globules when imaged for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We explored the anti-inflammatory potential of this edible nano-emulsion in lung inflammation. The lungs are the internal organ most vulnerable to infection, injury, and rapid inflammation from the external environment because of their constant exposure to pollutants, pathogenic microorganisms, and viruses. We evaluated the nano-emulsion for efficacy in ovalbumin-induced lung injury in mice with an oral treatment for two weeks. The therapeutic effect of nano-emulsion of the sesame oil-extract of turmeric was evident from biochemical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung histopathology, and flow cytometric analysis. The developed nano-emulsion significantly reduced the inflammation and damage to the alveolar network in ovalbumin-injured mice. Significant reduction in the levels of neutrophils and inflammatory cytokines like IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was observed in the nano-emulsion-treated group. Leukotriene B4 and IgE were also significantly altered in the treated group, thus suggesting the suitability of the formulation for the treatment of allergy and other inflammatory conditions. The nano-emulsification process potentiated the immunoregulatory effect of turmeric, as observed from the elevated levels of the natural anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. The dietary constituents-based nano-emulsion of spice turmeric helped in scavenging the free radicals in the injured lungs, thus modulating the inflammation pathway. This easily scalable formulation technology approach can therefore serve as a potential noninvasive and safe treatment modality for reducing lung inflammation in lung injury cases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

26 pages, 2676 KiB  
Review
Review of the Current Landscape of the Potential of Nanotechnology for Future Malaria Diagnosis, Treatment, and Vaccination Strategies
by Arnau Guasch-Girbau and Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(12), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13122189 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5357
Abstract
Malaria eradication has for decades been on the global health agenda, but the causative agents of the disease, several species of the protist parasite Plasmodium, have evolved mechanisms to evade vaccine-induced immunity and to rapidly acquire resistance against all drugs entering clinical [...] Read more.
Malaria eradication has for decades been on the global health agenda, but the causative agents of the disease, several species of the protist parasite Plasmodium, have evolved mechanisms to evade vaccine-induced immunity and to rapidly acquire resistance against all drugs entering clinical use. Because classical antimalarial approaches have consistently failed, new strategies must be explored. One of these is nanomedicine, the application of manipulation and fabrication technology in the range of molecular dimensions between 1 and 100 nm, to the development of new medical solutions. Here we review the current state of the art in malaria diagnosis, prevention, and therapy and how nanotechnology is already having an incipient impact in improving them. In the second half of this review, the next generation of antimalarial drugs currently in the clinical pipeline is presented, with a definition of these drugs’ target product profiles and an assessment of the potential role of nanotechnology in their development. Opinions extracted from interviews with experts in the fields of nanomedicine, clinical malaria, and the economic landscape of the disease are included to offer a wider scope of the current requirements to win the fight against malaria and of how nanoscience can contribute to achieve them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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17 pages, 1701 KiB  
Review
Nanoparticles for Ferroptosis Therapy in Cancer
by Nadia Zaffaroni and Giovanni Luca Beretta
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(11), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13111785 - 25 Oct 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3557
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a regulated cell death mechanism holding promise for anticancer therapy. Numerous small molecules inducing ferroptosis have been reported thus far. However, these compounds suffer from important drawbacks including poor solubility, systemic toxicity, and scarce tumor targeting ability that have limited their [...] Read more.
Ferroptosis is a regulated cell death mechanism holding promise for anticancer therapy. Numerous small molecules inducing ferroptosis have been reported thus far. However, these compounds suffer from important drawbacks including poor solubility, systemic toxicity, and scarce tumor targeting ability that have limited their clinical success. The notion that nanoparticles inducing ferroptosis show better preclinical profiles compared to small molecules and overcome resistance to apoptosis has opened a new scenario for cancer treatment. Due to peculiar chemical-physical properties, nanoparticles can be loaded with anticancer drugs or decorated with tumor-selecting molecules. These features allow for drug combination treatment as well as tumor targeting. In the review, we summarize and discuss the available information concerning nanoparticles inducing ferroptosis endowed with different peculiarities and suitable for therapeutic purposes including nanoparticles for (i) antitumor drug delivery, (ii) tumor targeting, (iii) immunomodulation, and (iv) radiofrequency ablation, hyperthermia, and photodynamic therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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19 pages, 45254 KiB  
Review
Recent Progress in the Design and Medical Application of In Situ Self-Assembled Polypeptide Materials
by Tian-Tian Wang, Yi-Yi Xia, Jian-Qing Gao, Dong-Hang Xu and Min Han
Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(5), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13050753 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3433
Abstract
Inspired by molecular self-assembly, which is ubiquitous in natural environments and biological systems, self-assembled peptides have become a research hotspot in the biomedical field due to their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability, properties that are afforded by the amide linkages forming the peptide backbone. [...] Read more.
Inspired by molecular self-assembly, which is ubiquitous in natural environments and biological systems, self-assembled peptides have become a research hotspot in the biomedical field due to their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability, properties that are afforded by the amide linkages forming the peptide backbone. This review summarizes the biological advantages, principles, and design strategies of self-assembled polypeptide systems. We then focus on the latest advances in in situ self-assembly of polypeptides in medical applications, such as oncotherapy, materials science, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery, and then briefly discuss their potential challenges in clinical treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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27 pages, 2252 KiB  
Review
Intranasal Nanoemulsions for Direct Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Actives for CNS Disorders
by Shiv Bahadur, Dinesh M. Pardhi, Jarkko Rautio, Jessica M. Rosenholm and Kamla Pathak
Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(12), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12121230 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 10255
Abstract
The treatment of various central nervous system (CNS) diseases has been challenging, despite the rapid development of several novel treatment approaches. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is one of the major issues in the treatment of CNS diseases, having major role in the protection [...] Read more.
The treatment of various central nervous system (CNS) diseases has been challenging, despite the rapid development of several novel treatment approaches. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is one of the major issues in the treatment of CNS diseases, having major role in the protection of the brain but simultaneously constituting the main limiting hurdle for drugs targeting the brain. Nasal drug delivery has gained significant interest for brain targeting over the past decades, wherein the drug is directly delivered to the brain by the trigeminal and olfactory pathway. Various novel and promising formulation approaches have been explored for drug targeting to the brain by nasal administration. Nanoemulsions have the potential to avoid problems, including low solubility, poor bioavailability, slow onset of action, and enzymatic degradation. The present review highlights research scenarios of nanoemulsions for nose-to-brain delivery for the management of CNS ailments classified on the basis of brain disorders and further identifies the areas that remain unexplored. The significance of the total dose delivered to the target region, biodistribution studies, and long-term toxicity studies have been identified as the key areas of future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery)
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