Cryoprotectants for freeze drying of drug nano-suspensions: Effect of freezing rate

Tamoxifen-loaded thiolated alginate-albumin nanoparticles as antitumoral drug delivery systems

Nanoparticles based on disulfide bond reduced bovine serum albumin and thiolated alginate (alginate-cysteine conjugate) have been prepared by coacervation method and have been loaded with tamoxifen (TMX). The TMX load into the nanoparticles was optimized (4-6 μg/mg NP) by freeze-drying the systems before the loading procedure. Maximum TMX release (45-52%) took place between 2 and 25 h. Cytotoxicity of unloaded nanoparticles in MCF-7 and HeLa cells was not observed, although a small decrease in viability took place at very high concentration. Cell uptake of nanoparticles occurred in both cell types and the presence of polysaccharide in the nanoparticle composition allowed a better interaction with cells. The administration of 10 μM TMX by TMX-nanoparticles was effective in both cellular lines, and the effect of the drug-loaded systems on MCF-7 cell cycle showed the efficacy of the TMX-loaded nanoparticles.

Redispersible drug nanoparticles prepared without dispersant by electro-spray drying

The redispersibility of drug nanoparticles is critical in the formulation development of oral solid dosage forms from drug nanosuspensions. To address this issue, various drying techniques such as, spray drying, fluidized bed drying, etc. have been developed based on freeze drying. In this work, redispersible dried powders were successfully prepared from drug nanosuspensions without the use of dispersant by applying an electrical potential to the nozzle during the spray drying process. The applied voltage, not the concentration of the nanosuspension, was critical in determining the redispersibility. Despite the high electric field, the particle morphology and crystallinity were not dependent on the applied voltage, which suggests that the drug crystals were not damaged. This novel technique could broaden the applicability of spray drying technology and allow for novel formulations of drug nanoparticles.

Formulation of diblock polymeric nanoparticles through nanoprecipitation technique

Nanotechnology is a relatively new branch of science that involves harnessing the unique properties of particles that are nanometers in scale (nanoparticles). Nanoparticles can be engineered in a precise fashion where their size, composition and surface chemistry can be carefully controlled. This enables unprecedented freedom to modify some of the fundamental properties of their cargo, such as solubility, diffusivity, biodistribution, release characteristics and immunogenicity. Since their inception, nanoparticles have been utilized in many areas of science and medicine, including drug delivery, imaging, and cell biology(1-4). However, it has not been fully utilized outside of "nanotechnology laboratories" due to perceived technical barrier. In this article, we describe a simple method to synthesize a polymer based nanoparticle platform that has a wide range of potential applications. The first step is to synthesize a diblock co-polymer that has both a hydrophobic domain and hydrophilic domain. Using PLGA and PEG as model polymers, we described a conjugation reaction using EDC/NHS chemistry(5) (Fig 1). We also discuss the polymer purification process. The synthesized diblock co-polymer can self-assemble into nanoparticles in the nanoprecipitation process through hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions. The described polymer nanoparticle is very versatile. The hydrophobic core of the nanoparticle can be utilized to carry poorly soluble drugs for drug delivery experiments6. Furthermore, the nanoparticles can overcome the problem of toxic solvents for poorly soluble molecular biology reagents, such as wortmannin, which requires a solvent like DMSO. However, DMSO can be toxic to cells and interfere with the experiment. These poorly soluble drugs and reagents can be effectively delivered using polymer nanoparticles with minimal toxicity. Polymer nanoparticles can also be loaded with fluorescent dye and utilized for intracellular trafficking studies. Lastly, these polymer nanoparticles can be conjugated to targeting ligands through surface PEG. Such targeted nanoparticles can be utilized to label specific epitopes on or in cells(7-10).

Preserving enhancement in freeze-dried contrast agent ST68: Examination of excipients

The perfluorcarbon (perfluorobutane) ultrasound contrast agent ST68, composed of sonicated mixtures of non-ionic surfactants, is stable in solution for only a few weeks at 4 degrees C. Freeze-drying critically diminished ST68's ability to reflect ultrasound (its echogenicity). A method of incorporating specific lyoprotectants before lyophilization was investigated. Reintroduction of perfluorobutane to the protected freeze-dried sample, followed by reconstituting with water preserved echogenicity. Glucose, trehalose, sucrose, and mannitol were tested at 100mM and in vitro echogenicity data was collected from samples with dose concentrations of 50-300microl/l. Glucose was found to be the best lyoprotectant providing an average (n=3) maximum peak enhancement of 23.2+/-1.2dB in vitro, measured at 5MHz, 684kPa, and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 100Hz (p<0.05 over freeze-dried ST68 control) and 20.8+/-0.8dB in vivo in New Zealand white rabbits at 5MHz and a PRF of 6.7kHz. Pulse inversion harmonic US images of a rabbit kidney, pre- and post-contrast injection (0.1ml/kg), showed excellent enhancement and clear vascular delineation, similar to that of the original agent. For the first time this contrast agent can be successfully freeze-dried yielding a longer self-life without the need for refrigeration.