Water-responsive gel extends drug retention and facilitates skin penetration for curcumin topical delivery against psoriasis

Impact of Thermo-Responsive N-Acetylcysteine Hydrogel on Dermal Wound Healing and Oral Ulcer Regeneration

This study investigates the efficacy of a thermo-responsive N-acetylcysteine (NAC) hydrogel on wound healing and oral ulcer recovery. Formulated by combining NAC with methylcellulose, the hydrogel's properties were assessed for temperature-induced gelation and cell viability using human fibroblast cells. In vivo experiments on Sprague Dawley rats compared the hydrogel's effects against saline, NAC solution, and a commercial NAC product. Results show that a 5% NAC and 1% methylcellulose solution exhibited optimal outcomes. While modest improvements in wound healing were observed, significant enhancements were noted in oral ulcer recovery, with histological analyses indicating fully regenerated mucosal tissue. The study concludes that modifying viscosity enhances NAC retention, facilitating tissue regeneration. These findings support previous research on the beneficial effects of antioxidant application on damaged tissues, suggesting the potential of NAC hydrogels in improving wound care and oral ulcer treatment.

Potential of Curcumin in the Management of Skin Diseases

Curcumin is a polyphenolic molecule derived from the rhizoma of Curcuma longa L. This compound has been used for centuries due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. These make it ideal for preventing and treating skin inflammation, premature skin ageing, psoriasis, and acne. Additionally, it exhibits antiviral, antimutagenic, and antifungal effects. Curcumin provides protection against skin damage caused by prolonged exposure to UVB radiation. It reduces wound healing times and improves collagen deposition. Moreover, it increases fibroblast and vascular density in wounds. This review summarizes the available information on the therapeutic effect of curcumin in treating skin diseases. The results suggest that curcumin may be an inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective agent for treating skin diseases. However, larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these observations due to limitations in its in vivo use, such as low bioavailability after oral administration and metabolism.

In-situ gel: A smart carrier for drug delivery

In-situ gel technology is a promising drug delivery strategy that undergoes a 'sol to gel' transition upon administration, providing controlled and prolonged drug release. These gels are composed of cross-linked 3D networks of polymers, with hydrogels being a specific type of absorbing water while retaining their shape. Gelation can be triggered by various stimuli, such as temperature, pH, ions, and light. They offer several advantages like improved patient compliance, extended drug residence time, localized drug delivery, etc, but also have some disadvantages like drug degradation and limited mechanical strength. In-situ gel falls into three categories: temperature-sensitive, ion-sensitive, and pH-sensitive, but multi-responsive gels that respond to multiple stimuli have better drug release characteristics. The mechanism of in-situ gel formation involves physical and chemical mechanisms. There are various applications of in-situ gel, like ocular drug delivery, nose-to-brain delivery, etc. In this review, we have discussed the types, and mechanisms of in-situ gel & use of in-situ gel in the treatment of different diseases through various routes like buccal, vaginal, ocular, nasal, etc., along with its use in targeted drug delivery.

Enhancing Transdermal Delivery of Curcumin-Based Ionic Liquid Liposomes for Application in Psoriasis

To improve the permeation of curcumin, we prepared curcumin-based ionic liquid (Cur-Bet-IL) (IL formed using curcumin succinic anhydride and betaine) from curcumin by combining theoretical calculation and experimental research and then prepared curcumin-based ionic liquid liposome (Cur-Bet-IL-Lip). The Cur-Bet-IL-Lip has good stability (stored for 10 days without significant changes) and biocompatibility, which encompasses not only the properties of curcumin but also the characteristics of ionic liquids and liposomes. Cur-Bet-IL-Lip can penetrate the stratum corneum and deliver curcumin to the epidermis and dermis of the skin, and the cumulative permeability of curcumin after 24 h was 49%. Compared to Cur-Bet-IL, Cur-Bet-IL-Lip has a good uptake ability on human immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells (1.87-fold), which can reduce the expression of TNF-α (1.59-fold), IL-1β (1.19-fold), IL-17A (1.53-fold), IL-17F (1.18-fold), and IL-22 (1.49-fold) in HaCaT cells and then increase the expression of collagen-I (1.14-fold). Therefore, Cur-Bet-IL-Lip has guiding significance in improving the solubility and permeation of insoluble drugs, which also provides a potential value for the clinical application of curcumin.

Ultraviolet B radiation-induced JPH203-loaded keratinocyte extracellular vesicles exert etiological interventions for psoriasis therapy

Psoriasis is a multifactorial immuno-inflammatory skin disease, characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and aberrant immune activation. Although the pathogenesis is complex, the interactions among inflammation, Th17-mediated immune activation, and keratinocyte hyperplasia are considered to play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of psoriasis. Therefore, pharmacological interventions on the "inflammation-Th17-keratinocyte" vicious cycle may be a potential strategy for psoriasis treatment. In this study, JPH203 (a specific inhibitor of LAT1, which engulfs leucine to activate mTOR signaling)-loaded, ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced, keratinocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (J@EV) were prepared for psoriasis therapy. The EVs led to increased interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) content due to UVB irradiation, therefore not only acting as a carrier for JPH203 but also functioning through inhibiting the IL-1-mediated inflammation cascade. J@EV effectively restrained the proliferation of inflamed keratinocytes via suppressing mTOR-signaling and NF-κB pathway in vitro. In an imiquimod-induced psoriatic model, J@EV significantly ameliorated the related symptoms as well as suppressed the over-activated immune reaction, evidenced by the decreased keratinocyte hyperplasia, Th17 expansion, and IL17 release. This study shows that J@EV exerts therapeutic efficacy for psoriasis by suppressing LAT1-mTOR involved keratinocyte hyperproliferation and Th17 expansion, as well as inhibiting IL-1-NF-κB mediated inflammation, representing a novel and promising strategy for psoriasis therapy.

Fast and Sensitive Bioanalytical Method for the Determination of Deucravacitinib in Human Plasma Using HPLC-MS/MS: Application and Greenness Evaluation

Plaque psoriasis is a common, long-lasting illness that affects the immune system and causes significant negative impacts on a patient's physical health, well-being, and ability to work effectively. Deucravacitinib (DEU) is the first oral medication used in the treatment of plaque psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches on the skin. DEU is a type of medication called an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, which works by blocking specific enzymes that play a role in the inflammation and immune response associated with psoriasis. Therefore, a quick, easy, novel, reliable, sensitive, and straightforward liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach was used to analyze DEU in plasma samples. The LC-MS/MS method for the determination of DEU in human plasma was based on using trimethoprim as an internal standard (IS). The separation of DEU and IS was carried out via liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). The extract was then subjected to the chromatographic system separation using the ACE-C18 column (4.6 × 100 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase employed consisted of methanol and a solution of 2 mM ammonium formate (80:20 v/v, respectively). The flow rate used was set at 0.9 mL min^-1. The creative strategy was performed by running an ABSCIEX API 4000 mass spectrometer with an electron spray ionization source in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The ion transitions m/z 426.3 → 358.2 were used for DEU quantitation, while the ion transitions m/z 291.1 → 261.1 were used for trimethoprim quantitation. The accuracy, precision, linearity, recovery, and selectivity of DEU were deemed acceptable when validated for a concentration range between 0.500 and 601.050 ng/mL, utilizing a weighting factor of 1/x².