Smart polymers for the controlled delivery of drugs - a concise overview

Advancements in Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Sarcopenia: An Updated Overview

Since sarcopenia is a progressive condition that leads to decreased muscle mass and function, especially in elderly people, it is a public health problem that requires attention from researchers. This review aims to highlight drug delivery systems that have a high and efficient therapeutic potential for sarcopenia. Current as well as future research needs to consider the barriers encountered in the realization of delivery systems, such as the route of administration, the interaction of the systems with the aggressive environment of the human body, the efficient delivery and loading of the systems with therapeutic agents, and the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents into the muscle tissue without creating undesirable adverse effects. Thus, this paper sets the framework of existing drug delivery possibilities for the treatment of sarcopenia, serving as an inception point for future interdisciplinary studies.

Chitosan-based smart stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for gene delivery and gene therapy: Recent progresses on cancer therapy

Recent cancer therapy research has found that chitosan (Ch)-based nanoparticles show great potential for targeted gene delivery. Chitosan, a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, has exceptional properties, making it an ideal carrier for therapeutic genes. These nanoparticles can respond to specific stimuli like pH, temperature, and enzymes, enabling precise delivery and regulated release of genes. In cancer therapy, these nanoparticles have proven effective in delivering genes to tumor cells, slowing tumor growth. Adjusting the nanoparticle's surface, encapsulating protective agents, and using targeting ligands have also improved gene delivery efficiency. Smart nanoparticles based on chitosan have shown promise in improving outcomes by selectively releasing genes in response to tumor conditions, enhancing targeted delivery, and reducing off-target effects. Additionally, targeting ligands on the nanoparticles' surface increases uptake and effectiveness. Although further investigation is needed to optimize the structure and composition of these nanoparticles and assess their long-term safety, these advancements pave the way for innovative gene-focused cancer therapies.

Beyond aromatherapy: can essential oil loaded nanocarriers revolutionize cancer treatment?

Cancer, a complex global health burden, necessitates the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. While chemotherapy remains the primary treatment approach, its severe side effects and chemoresistance drive the search for novel alternatives. Essential oils (EOs), consisting of diverse bioactive phytochemicals, offer promise as anticancer agents. However, their limitations, such as instability, limited bioavailability, and non-specific targeting, hinder their therapeutic potential. These challenges were circumvented by utilizing nanoparticles and nanosystems as efficient delivery platforms for EOs. This review highlights the accumulating evidence based on loading EOs into several nanocarriers, including polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, nanofibers, lipid-based nanocapsules and nanostructures, niosomes, and liposomes, as effective anticancer regimens. It covers extraction and chemical composition of EOs, their mechanisms of action, and targeting strategies to various tumors. Additionally, it delves into the diverse landscape of nanocarriers, including their advantages and considerations for cancer targeting and EO encapsulation. The effectiveness of EO-loaded nanocarriers in cancer targeting and treatment is examined, highlighting enhanced cellular uptake, controlled drug release, and improved therapeutic efficacy. Finally, the review addresses existing challenges and future perspectives, emphasizing the potential for clinical translation and personalized medicine approaches.

A Comprehensive Review of Stimuli-Responsive Smart Polymer Materials-Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Today, smart materials are commonly used in various fields of science and technology, such as medicine, electronics, soft robotics, the chemical industry, the automotive field, and many others. Smart polymeric materials hold good promise for the future due to their endless possibilities. This group of advanced materials can be sensitive to changes or the presence of various chemical, physical, and biological stimuli, e.g., light, temperature, pH, magnetic/electric field, pressure, microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, toxic substances, and many others. This review concerns the newest achievements in the area of smart polymeric materials. The recent advances in the designing of stimuli-responsive polymers are described in this paper.

Triggerable Patches for Medical Applications

Medical patches have garnered increasing attention in recent decades for several diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Advancements in material science, manufacturing technologies, and bioengineering have significantly widened their functionalities, rendering them highly versatile platforms for wearable and implantable applications. Of particular interest are triggerable patches designed for drug delivery and tissue regeneration purposes, whose action can be controlled by an external signal. Stimuli-responsive patches are particularly appealing as they may enable a high level of temporal and spatial control over the therapy, allowing high therapeutic precision and the possibility to adjust the treatment according to specific clinical and personal needs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing extensive literature on triggerable patches, emphasizing their potential for diverse applications and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of different triggering stimuli. Additionally, the current open challenges related to the design and use of efficient triggerable patches, such as tuning their mechanical and adhesive properties, ensuring an acceptable trade-off between smartness and biocompatibility, endowing them with portability and autonomy, accurately controlling their responsiveness to the triggering stimulus and maximizing their therapeutic efficacy, are reviewed.

Exploring the impact of encapsulation on the stability and bioactivity of peptides extracted from botanical sources: trends and opportunities

Bioactive peptides derived from plant sources have gained significant attention for their potential use in preventing and treating chronic degenerative diseases. However, the efficacy of these peptides depends on their bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and stability. Encapsulation is a promising strategy for improving the therapeutic use of these compounds. It enhances their stability, prolongs their shelf life, protects them from degradation during digestion, and enables better release control by improving their bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This review aims to analyze the impact of various factors related to peptide encapsulation on their stability and release to enhance their biological activity. To achieve this, it is necessary to determine the composition and physicochemical properties of the capsule, which are influenced by the wall materials, encapsulation technique, and operating conditions. Furthermore, for peptide encapsulation, their charge, size, and hydrophobicity must be considered. Recent research has focused on the advancement of novel encapsulation methodologies that permit the formation of uniform capsules in terms of size and shape. In addition, it explores novel wall materials, including polysaccharides derived from unconventional sources, that allow the precise regulation of the rate at which peptides are released into the intestine.

A current era in pulsatile drug delivery system: Drug journey based on chronobiology

Almost all biological processes in the human body are regulated by circadian rhythm, which results in drastically different biochemical and physiological conditions throughout a 24 h period. Hence, suitable drug delivery systems should be efficiently monitored to attain the required therapeutic plasma concentration and therapeutic drug responses when needed as per chrono pharmacological concepts. "Chronotherapy" is the fast and transient release of a particular quantity of drug substance post a predetermined off-release period, termed as 'lag time'. Due to rhythmic variations, it is typically unnecessary to administer a medicine drug in an unhealthy condition constantly. Pulsatile drug delivery systems have received a lot of attention in pharmaceutical development because they give a quick or rate-controlled drug release after administration, followed by an anticipated lag period. Patients with various illnesses, such as asthma, hypertension, joint inflammation, and ulcers, can benefit from a pulsatile drug delivery system. Thus, a pulsatile drug delivery system may be a potential system for managing different diseases. This review mainly focuses on pulsatile drug delivery systems. It reviews and discusses the rationale, drug release mechanism, need, and system classification. In addition, it covers mainly externally regulated pulsatile drug delivery systems and recent advances in pulsatile systems like artificial intelligence and 3D printing. It also covers the ethical issues associated with pulsatile drug delivery systems.

Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Alzheimer's Disease: Befriending the Barriers

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) have been increasing in incidence in recent years and are now widespread worldwide. Neuronal death is defined as the progressive loss of neuronal structure or function which is closely associated with NDDs and represents the intrinsic features of such disorders. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases (AD, PD, and HD, respectively) are considered neurodegenerative diseases that affect a large number of people worldwide. Despite the testing of various drugs, there is currently no available therapy that can remedy or effectively slow the progression of these diseases. Nanomedicine has the potential to revolutionize drug delivery for the management of NDDs. The use of nanoparticles (NPs) has recently been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency and is currently subjected to extensive studies. Nanoengineered particles, known as nanodrugs, can cross the blood-brain barrier while also being less invasive compared to the most treatment strategies in use. Polymeric, magnetic, carbonic, and inorganic NPs are examples of NPs that have been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency. Primary research studies using NPs to cure AD are promising, but thorough research is needed to introduce these approaches to clinical use. In the present review, we discussed the role of metal-based NPs, polymeric nanogels, nanocarrier systems such as liposomes, solid lipid NPs, polymeric NPs, exosomes, quantum dots, dendrimers, polymersomes, carbon nanotubes, and nanofibers and surfactant-based systems for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we highlighted nanoformulations such as N-butyl cyanoacrylate, poly(butyl cyanoacrylate), D-penicillamine, citrate-coated peptide, magnetic iron oxide, chitosan (CS), lipoprotein, ceria, silica, metallic nanoparticles, cholinesterase inhibitors, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, metal chelators, anti-amyloid, protein, and peptide-loaded NPs for the treatment of AD.

Stimuli-Responsive Polymers for Engineered Emulsions

Emulsions are complex. Dispersing two immiscible phases, thus expanding an interface, requires effort to achieve and the resultant dispersion is thermodynamically unstable, driving the system toward coalescence. Furthermore, physical instabilities, including creaming, arise due to presence of dispersed droplets of different densities to a continuous phase. Emulsions allow the formulation of oils, can act as vehicles to solubilize both hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules, and can be tailored to desirable rheological profiles, including "gel-like" behavior and shear thinning. The usefulness of emulsions can be further expanded by imparting stimuli-responsive or "smart" behaviors by inclusion of a stimuli-responsive emulsifier, polymer or surfactant. This enables manipulation like gelation, breaking, or aggregation, by external triggers such as pH, temperature, or salt concentration changes. This platform generates functional materials for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, oil recovery, and colloid engineering, combining both smart behaviors and intrinsic benefit of emulsions. However, with increased functionality comes greater complexity. This review focuses on the use of stimuli-responsive polymers for the generation of smart emulsions, motivated by the great adaptability of polymers for this application and their efficacy as steric stabilizers. Stimuli-responsive emulsions are described according to the trigger used to provide the reader with an overview of progress in this field.

Targeted Clindamycin Delivery Systems: Promising Options for Preventing and Treating Bacterial Infections Using Biomaterials

Targeted therapy represents a real opportunity to improve the health and lives of patients. Developments in this field are confirmed by the fact that the global market for drug carriers was worth nearly $40 million in 2022. For this reason, materials engineering and the development of new drug carrier compositions for targeted therapy has become a key area of research in pharmaceutical drug delivery in recent years. Ceramics, polymers, and metals, as well as composites, are of great interest, as when they are appropriately processed or combined with each other, it is possible to obtain biomaterials for hard tissues, soft tissues, and skin applications. After appropriate modification, these materials can release the drug directly at the site requiring a therapeutic effect. This brief literature review characterizes routes of drug delivery into the body and discusses biomaterials from different groups, options for their modification with clindamycin, an antibiotic used for infections caused by aerobic and anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, and different methods for the final processing of carriers. Examples of coating materials for skin wound healing, acne therapy, and bone tissue fillers are given. Furthermore, the reasons why the use of antibiotic therapy is crucial for a smooth and successful recovery and the risks of bacterial infections are explained. It was demonstrated that there is no single proven delivery scheme, and that the drug can be successfully released from different carriers depending on the destination.

The Influence of Initiators, Particle Size and Composition on the Electrokinetic Potential of N-(Isopropyl)acrylamide Derivatives

The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the zeta potential of particles sensitive to external thermal stimuli. Poly N-(isopropyl) acrylamide (PNIPA) was selected as the thermosensitive polymer with a volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) between 32 and 33 °C. The hydrodynamic diameter (DH) of the nanoparticles was measured by dynamic light scattering. Zeta potential (ZP) measurements were performed with the same instrument used for DH measurements. ZP measurements allow the prediction of the stability of colloidal systems in aqueous solutions. These measurements were combined with a pH study before and after the purification process of the particles. The ZP was measured to determine the electrostatic interactions between the particles, which can lead to particle aggregation and decrease their colloidal stability. The effect of the composition of the synthesized particles on the ZP was assessed. One of the most important factors influencing ZP is pH, especially in aqueous solutions. The initiator did not significantly affect the DH of the particles, but it did significantly affect the ZP. The synthesized particles were subjected to a visible radiation absorption study in the selected temperature range to determine the VPTT.

Elucidating the influence of electrostatic force on the re-arrangement of H-bonds of protein polymers in the presence of salts

Polyampholytes/proteins have an intriguing network of hydrogen bonds (H-bonds), especially their secondary structure, which plays a crucial role in determining the conformational stability of the polymer. The changes in protein secondary structure in the protein-salt system have been extensively deciphered by researchers, yet their pathways for breakage and recreation are unknown. Understanding the mechanism of protein conformational changes towards their biological activities, like protein folding, remains one of the main challenges and requires multiscale analysis of this strongly correlated system. Herein, salts have been used to reveal the re-arrangement behavior in the H-bond network of proteins under the influence of electrostatic interactions, as the strength of electrostatic forces is much stronger than that of H-bonds. At lower salt concentrations, there are negligible changes in the secondary structures as the electrostatic forces induced by the salt ions are less. Later, the existing H-bonds break and reconstruct new H-bonds at higher salt concentrations due to the influence of the stronger electrostatic interaction induced by the large number of salt ions. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and FTIR studies have been used rigorously to decipher the reason behind the re-arrangement of the H-bonds within gelatin (protein). The re-arrangement in the H-bond has also been observed with time from simulations and experiments. Thus, this study could provide a fresh perspective on the conformational changes of polyampholytes/proteins and will also influence the studies of protein folding-unfolding interaction in the presence of salt ions.

Vibrio cholerae virulence and its suppression through the quorum-sensing system

Vibrio cholerae is a cholera-causing pathogen known to instigate severe contagious diarrhea that affects millions globally. Survival of vibrios depend on a combination of multicellular responses and adapt to changes that prevail in the environment. This process is achieved through a strong communication at the cellular level, the process has been recognized as quorum sensing (QS). The severity of infection is highly dependent on the QS of vibrios in the gut milieu. The quorum may exist in a low/high cell density (LCD/HCD) state to exert a positive or negative response to control the regulatory pathogenic networks. The impact of this regulation reflects on the transition of pathogenic V. cholerae from the environment to infect humans and cause outbreaks or epidemics of cholera. In this context, the review portrays various regulatory processes and associated virulent pathways, which maneuver and control LCD and HCD states for their survival in the host. Although several treatment options are existing, promotion of therapeutics by exploiting the virulence network may potentiate ineffective antibiotics to manage cholera. In addition, this approach is also useful in resource-limited settings, where the accessibility to antibiotics or conventional therapeutic options is limited.

Smart Biomaterials in Biomedical Applications: Current Advances and Possible Future Directions

Smart biomaterials with the capacity to alter their properties in response to an outside stimulus or from within the environment around them have picked up significant attention in the biomedical community. This is primarily due to the interest in their biomedical applications that may be anticipated from them in a considerable number of dynamic structures and devices. Shape-memory materials are some of these materials that have been exclusively used for these applications. They exhibit unique structural reconfiguration features they adapt as per the provided environmental conditions and can be designed for their enhanced biocompatibility. Numerous research initiatives have focused on these smart biocompatible materials over the last few decades to enhance their biomedical applications. Shape-memory materials play a significant role in this regard to meet new surgical and medical devices' requirements for special features and utility cases. Because of the favorable design variety, different biomedical shape-memory materials can be developed by modifying their chemical and physical behaviors to accommodate the desired requirements. In this review, recent advances and characteristics of smart biomaterials for biomedical applications are described. The authors also discuss about their clinical translations in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical devices.

A review on oral novel delivery systems of insulin through the novel delivery system formulations: A review

Parenteral administration of insulin remains the most common route of administration, causing local hypertrophy at the injection sites because of multiple daily injections. Because of this, there is an interest and effort in oral insulin administration that is convenient and mimics the physiology of endogenous insulin secreted in the liver. However, oral insulin encountered different challenges due to abundant enzyme degradation, the presence of a mucus layer, and the underlying intestinal epithelial membrane barrier in the gastrointestinal tract. This narrative review reviewed the literature dealing with novel oral insulin delivery approaches. Various pieces of literature were searched, filtered, and reviewed from different sources, and the information obtained was organized, formulated, and finalized. Oral insulin has been formulated and extensively studied in various novel delivery approaches, such as nanoparticles, microspheres, mucoadhesive patches, encapsulations, hydrogels, ionic liquids, liposomes, and complexation. The efficiency of these formulations demonstrated improved efficiency and potency compared to free oral insulin delivery, but none of them have greater or equivalent potency to subcutaneous insulin. Future studies regarding dose-dependent therapeutic efficacy and the development of new novel formulations to produce comparable oral insulin to subcutaneous insulin are warranted to further support the suitability of the current platform for oral insulin delivery.

Translational biomaterials of four-dimensional bioprinting for tissue regeneration

Bioprinting is an additive manufacturing technique that combines living cells, biomaterials, and biological molecules to develop biologically functional constructs. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is commonly used as anin vitromodeling system and is a more accurate representation ofin vivoconditions in comparison to two-dimensional cell culture. Although 3D bioprinting has been utilized in various tissue engineering and clinical applications, it only takes into consideration the initial state of the printed scaffold or object. Four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting has emerged in recent years to incorporate the additional dimension of time within the printed 3D scaffolds. During the 4D bioprinting process, an external stimulus is exposed to the printed construct, which ultimately changes its shape or functionality. By studying how the structures and the embedded cells respond to various stimuli, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the functionality of native tissues. This review paper will focus on the biomaterial breakthroughs in the newly advancing field of 4D bioprinting and their applications in tissue engineering and regeneration. In addition, the use of smart biomaterials and 4D printing mechanisms for tissue engineering applications is discussed to demonstrate potential insights for novel 4D bioprinting applications. To address the current challenges with this technology, we will conclude with future perspectives involving the incorporation of biological scaffolds and self-assembling nanomaterials in bioprinted tissue constructs.

Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels for Protein Delivery

Proteins and peptides are potential therapeutic agents, but their physiochemical properties make their use as drug substances challenging. Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymeric networks that can swell and retain high amounts of water or biological fluids without being dissolved. Due to their biocompatibility, their porous structure, which enables the transport of various peptides and proteins, and their protective effect against degradation, hydrogels have gained prominence as ideal carriers for these molecules' delivery. Particularly, stimuli-responsive hydrogels exhibit physicochemical transitions in response to subtle modifications in the surrounding environment, leading to the controlled release of entrapped proteins or peptides. This review is focused on the application of these hydrogels in protein and peptide delivery, including a brief overview of therapeutic proteins and types of stimuli-responsive polymers.

Synthesis and Characterization of Thermoresponsive Chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Copolymers

Thermoresponsive chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CS-g-PNIPAAm) copolymers of different composition were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of chitosan (CS) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (PPS) as an initiator. By changing the molar ratio of CS:NIPAAm from 1:0.25 to 1:10 graft copolymers with a CS backbone and different amounts of PNIPAM side chains were prepared. The chemical structure of the obtained CS-g-PNIPAAm copolymers was confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. 1H NMR spectra were also used to calculate the content of attached PNIPAAm side chains. Moreover, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of synthesized copolymers was assessed by cloud point, differential scanning calorimetry and particle size measurements. The aqueous solutions of copolymers containing ≥12 molar percent of PNIPAAm side chains demonstrated LCST behavior with the phase separation at around 29.0-32.7 °C. The intensity of thermoresponsiveness depended on the composition of copolymers and increased with increasing content of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) moieties. The synthesized thermoresponsive chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers could be potentially applied in drug delivery systems or tissue engineering.

Advances in Material Modification with Smart Functional Polymers for Combating Biofilms in Biomedical Applications

Biofilms as living microorganism communities are found anywhere, and for the healthcare sector, these constitute a threat and allied mechanism for health-associated or nosocomial infections. This review states the basis of biofilms and their formation. It focuses on their relevance for the biomedical sector, generalities, and the major advances in modified or new synthesized materials to prevent or control biofilm formation in biomedicine. Biofilm is conceptualized as an aggregate of cells highly communicated in an extracellular matrix, which the formation obeys to molecular and genetic basis. The biofilm offers protection to microorganisms from unfavorable environmental conditions. The most frequent genera of microorganisms forming biofilms and reported in infections are Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia spp., and Candida spp. in implants, heart valves, catheters, medical devices, and prostheses. During the last decade, biofilms have been most commonly related to health-associated infections and deaths in Europe, the United States, and Mexico. Smart, functional polymers are materials capable of responding to diverse stimuli. These represent a strategy to fight against biofilms through the modification or synthesis of new materials. Polypropylene and poly-N-isopropyl acrylamide were used enough in the literature analysis performed. Even smart polymers serve as delivery systems for other substances, such as antibiotics, for biofilm control.

Graphene Oxide Hosting a pH-Sensitive Prodrug: An In Silico Investigation of Graphene Oxide-Based Nanovehicle toward Cancer Therapy

Prodrug and drug delivery systems are two effective strategies for improving the selectivity of chemotherapeutics. Herein, via molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and free energy calculation, the effectiveness of the graphene oxide (GO) decorated with the pH-sensitive prodrug (PD) molecules in cancer therapy is investigated. PEI-CA-DOX (prodrug) was loaded onto the GO surface, in which the hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking interactions play the main role in the stability of the GO-PD complex. Due to the strong interaction of GO and PD (about -800 kJ/mol), the GO-PD complex remains stable during the membrane penetration process. The obtained results confirm that GO is a suitable surface for hosting the prodrug and passing it through the membrane. Furthermore, the investigation of the release process shows that the PD can be released under acidic conditions. This phenomenon is due to the reduction of the contribution of electrostatic energy in the GO and PD interaction and the entry of water into the drug delivery system. Moreover, it is found that an external electrical field does not have much effect on drug release. Our results provide a deep understanding of the prodrug delivery systems, which helps the combination of nanocarriers and modified chemotherapy drugs in the future.

The Management of Parkinson's Disease: An Overview of the Current Advancements in Drug Delivery Systems

Parkinson's disease (PD) has significantly affected a large proportion of the elderly population worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 8.5 million people worldwide are living with PD. In the United States, an estimated one million people are living with PD, with approximately 60,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Conventional therapies available for Parkinson's disease are associated with limitations such as the wearing-off effect, on-off period, episodes of motor freezing, and dyskinesia. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in DDSs used to reduce the limitations of current therapies will be presented, and both their promising features and drawbacks will be discussed. We are also particularly interested in the technical properties, mechanism, and release patterns of incorporated drugs, as well as nanoscale delivery strategies to overcome the blood-brain barrier.

Intranasal in situ gelling liquid crystal for delivery of resveratrol ameliorates memory and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an illness that affects people aged 65 or older and affects around 6.5 million in the United States. Resveratrol is a chemical obtained from natural products and it exhibits biological activity based on inhibiting the formation, depolymerization of the amyloid, and decreasing neuroinflammation. Due to the insolubility of this compound; its incorporation in surfactant-based systems was proposed to design an intranasal formulation. A range of systems has been produced by mixing oleic acid, CETETH-20 and water. Polarised light microscopy (PLM), small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm the initial liquid formulation (F) presented as microemulsion (ME). After dilution, the gelled systems were characterized as hexagonal mesophase and they showed feasibility proprieties. Pharmacological assays performed after intranasal administration showed the ability to improve learning and memory in animals, as well as remission of neuroinflammation via inhibition of interleukin.

Effects of Steam Sterilization on the Properties of Stimuli-Responsive Polymer-Based Hydrogels

Hydrogels based on stimuli-responsive polymers can change their characteristics in response to small variations in environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, and ionic strength, among others. In the case of some routes of administration, such as ophthalmic and parenteral, the formulations must meet specific requirements, namely sterility. Therefore, it is essential to study the effect of the sterilization method on the integrity of smart gel systems. Thus, this work aimed to study the effect of steam sterilization (121 °C, 15 min) on the properties of hydrogels based on the following stimuli-responsive polymers: Carbopol® 940, Pluronic® F-127, and sodium alginate. The properties of the prepared hydrogels-pH, texture, rheological behavior, and sol-gel phase transition-were evaluated to compare and identify the differences between sterilized and non-sterilized hydrogels. The influence of steam sterilization on physicochemical stability was also investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The results of this study showed that the Carbopol® 940 hydrogel was the one that suffered fewer changes in the studied properties after sterilization. By contrast, sterilization was found to cause slight changes in the Pluronic® F-127 hydrogel regarding gelation temperature/time, as well as a considerable decrease in the viscosity of the sodium alginate hydrogel. There were no considerable differences in the chemical and physical characteristics of the hydrogels after steam sterilization. It is possible to conclude that steam sterilization is suitable for Carbopol® 940 hydrogels. Contrarily, this technique does not seem adequate for the sterilization of alginate or Pluronic® F-127 hydrogels, as it could considerably alter their properties.

Chitosan-Based Polymer Blends for Drug Delivery Systems

Polymers have been widely used for the development of drug delivery systems accommodating the regulated release of therapeutic agents in consistent doses over a long period, cyclic dosing, and the adjustable release of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. Nowadays, polymer blends are increasingly employed in drug development as they generate more promising results when compared to those of homopolymers. This review article describes the recent research efforts focusing on the utilization of chitosan blends with other polymers in an attempt to enhance the properties of chitosan. Furthermore, the various applications of chitosan blends in drug delivery are thoroughly discussed herein. The literature from the past ten years was collected using various search engines such as ScienceDirect, J-Gate, Google Scholar, PubMed, and research data were compiled according to the various novel carrier systems. Nanocarriers made from chitosan and chitosan derivatives have a positive surface charge, which allows for control of the rate, duration, and location of drug release in the body, and can increase the safety and efficacy of the delivery system. Recently developed nanocarriers using chitosan blends have been shown to be cost-effective, more efficacious, and prolonged release carriers that can be incorporated into suitable dosage forms.

Drug Release from Nanoparticles (Polymeric Nanocapsules and Liposomes) Mimed through a Multifractal Tunnelling-Type Effect

The present study analyzes (theoretically and experimentally) a drug release process from nanoparticles (polymeric nanocapsules and liposomes). This process is functionalized on the surface with an aptamer. These types of drug release processes can also be included in cream-type formulations. The obtained cream ensures the active targeting of tumor epithelial cells, in the case of skin cancer, because it can be easily administered to the skin by spreading, thus avoiding side effects caused by the toxicity of the drug to healthy cells, increasing both patient compliance and the effectiveness of the treatment. The process of obtaining these formulations is a simple one, easy to use and highly reproductible. The theoretical model, based on the multifractal tunnel effect within the Scale Relativity Theory, considers the system as a complex one. In this model, complexity is replaced with system multifractality, quantified in physical quantities as multifractal dimensions and multifractal functions. The main advantage of this approach consists in the fact that it allows us to obtain information on system behavior at a microscopic level and to evaluate microscopic characteristics of the system, such as intrinsic transparences of the drug molecules, multifractal constants as indicators of the system's complexity, the frequency of interactions within the system and the energy ratio between potential barrier energy and the energy of drug molecules.

Polymeric Biomaterials for Topical Drug Delivery in the Oral Cavity: Advances on Devices and Manufacturing Technologies

There are several routes of drug administration, and each one has advantages and limitations. In the case of the topical application in the oral cavity, comprising the buccal, sublingual, palatal, and gingival regions, the advantage is that it is painless, non-invasive, allows easy application of the formulation, and it is capable of avoiding the need of drug swallowing by the patient, a matter of relevance for children and the elderly. Another advantage is the high permeability of the oral mucosa, which may deliver very high amounts of medication rapidly to the bloodstream without significant damage to the stomach. This route also allows the local treatment of lesions that affect the oral cavity, as an alternative to systemic approaches involving injection-based methods and oral medications that require drug swallowing. Thus, this drug delivery route has been arousing great interest in the pharmaceutical industry. This review aims to condense information on the types of biomaterials and polymers used for this functionality, as well as on production methods and market perspectives of this topical drug delivery route.

Structural Determination of the Nanocomplex of Borate with Styrene-Maleic Acid Copolymer-Conjugated Glucosamine Used as a Multifunctional Anticancer Drug

The development of effective anticancer drugs is essential for chemotherapy that specifically targets cancer tissues. We recently synthesized a multifunctional water-soluble anticancer polymer drug consisting of styrene-maleic acid copolymer (SMA) conjugated with glucosamine and boric acid (BA) (SGB complex). It demonstrated about 10 times higher tumor-selective accumulation compared with accumulation in normal tissues because of the enhanced permeability and retention effect, and it inhibited tumor growth via glycolysis inhibition, mitochondrial damage, and thermal neutron irradiation. Gaining insight into the anticancer effects of this SGB complex requires a determination of its structure. We therefore investigated the chemical structure of the SGB complex by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. To establish the chemical structure of the SGB complex, we synthesized a simple model compound─maleic acid-glucosamine (MAG) conjugate─by using a maleic anhydride (MA) monomer unit instead of the SMA polymer. We obtained two MAG-BA complexes (MAGB) with molecular weights of 325 and 343 after the MAG reaction with BA. We confirmed, by using IR spectroscopy, that MAGB formed a stable complex via an amide bond between MA and glucosamine and that BA bound to glucosamine via a diol bond. As a result of this chemical design, identified via analysis of MAGB, the SGB complex can release BA and demonstrate toxicity to cancer cells through inhibition of lactate secretion in mild hypoxia that mimics the tumor microenvironment. For clinical application of the SGB complex, we confirmed that this complex is stable in the presence of serum. These findings confirm that our design of the SGB complex has various advantages in targeting solid cancers and exerting therapeutic effects when combined with neutron irradiation.

Physically stimulus-responsive nanoparticles for therapy and diagnosis

Nanoparticles offer numerous advantages in various fields of science, particularly in medicine. Over recent years, the use of nanoparticles in disease diagnosis and treatments has increased dramatically by the development of stimuli-responsive nano-systems, which can respond to internal or external stimuli. In the last 10 years, many preclinical studies were performed on physically triggered nano-systems to develop and optimize stable, precise, and selective therapeutic or diagnostic agents. In this regard, the systems must meet the requirements of efficacy, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and safety before clinical investigation. Several undesired aspects need to be addressed to successfully translate these physical stimuli-responsive nano-systems, as biomaterials, into clinical practice. These have to be commonly taken into account when developing physically triggered systems; thus, also applicable for nano-systems based on nanomaterials. This review focuses on physically triggered nano-systems (PTNSs), with diagnostic or therapeutic and theranostic applications. Several types of physically triggered nano-systems based on polymeric micelles and hydrogels, mesoporous silica, and magnets are reviewed and discussed in various aspects.

Insights on Development Aspects of Polymeric Nanocarriers: The Translation from Bench to Clinic

Scientists are focusing immense attention on polymeric nanocarriers as a prominent delivery vehicle for several biomedical applications including diagnosis of diseases, delivery of therapeutic agents, peptides, proteins, genes, siRNA, and vaccines due to their exciting physicochemical characteristics which circumvent degradation of unstable drugs, reduce toxic side effects through controlled release, and improve bioavailability. Polymers-based nanocarriers offer numerous benefits for in vivo drug delivery such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-immunogenicity, active drug targeting via surface modification, and controlled release due to their pH-and thermosensitive characteristics. Despite their potential for medicinal use, regulatory approval has been achieved for just a few. In this review, we discuss the historical development of polymers starting from their initial design to their evolution as nanocarriers for therapeutic delivery of drugs, peptides, and genes. The review article also expresses the applications of polymeric nanocarriers in the pharmaceutical and medical industry with a special emphasis on oral, ocular, parenteral, and topical application of drugs, peptides, and genes over the last two decades. The review further examines the practical, regulatory, and clinical considerations of the polymeric nanocarriers, their safety issues, and directinos for future research.

Biopolymer Nanoparticles for Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery: A New Promising Approach for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases

Diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS) are among the most disabling and the most difficult to cure due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which represents an impediment from a therapeutic and diagnostic point of view as it limits the entry of most drugs. The use of biocompatible polymer nanoparticles (NPs) as vehicles for targeted drug delivery to the brain arouses increasing interest. However, the route of administration of these vectors remains critical as the drug must be delivered without being degraded to achieve a therapeutic effect. An innovative approach for the administration of drugs to the brain using polymeric carriers is represented by the nose-to-brain (NtB) route which involves the administration of the therapeutic molecule through the neuro-olfactory epithelium of the nasal mucosa. Nasal administration is a non-invasive approach that allows the rapid transport of the drug directly to the brain and minimizes its systemic exposure. To date, many studies involve the use of polymer NPs for the NtB transport of drugs to the brain for the treatment of a whole series of disabling neurological diseases for which, as of today, there is no cure. In this review, various types of biodegradable polymer NPs for drug delivery to the brain through the NtB route are discussed and particular attention is devoted to the treatment of neurological diseases such as Glioblastoma and neurodegenerative diseases.

Promising advances in nanobiotic-based formulations for drug specific targeting against multidrug-resistant microbes and biofilm-associated infections

Antimicrobial agents and alternative strategies to combat bacterial infections have become urgent due to the rapid development of multidrug-resistant bacteria caused by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, as well as the ineffectiveness of antibiotics against difficult-to-treat infectious diseases. Nanobiotics is one of the strategies being explored to counter the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Nanobiotics are antibiotic molecules encapsulated in nanoparticles or artificially engineered pure antibiotics that are ≤ 100 nm in size in at least one dimension. Formulation scientists recognize nanobiotic delivery systems as an effective strategy to overcome the limitations associated with conventional antibiotic therapy. This review highlights the general mechanisms by which nanobiotics can be used to target resistant microbes and biofilm-associated infections. We focus on the design elements, properties, characterization, and toxicity assessment of organic nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticle and molecularly imprinted polymer-based nano-formulations that can be designed to improve the efficacy of nanobiotic formulation.

Antibacterial Potential of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. and Its Bioactive Molecules against Uropathogens-An In Silico Study to Identify Potential Lead Molecule(s) for the Development of New Drugs to Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming more common, requiring extensive protection from antimicrobials. The global expansion of multi-drug resistance uropathogens in the past decade emphasizes the necessity of newer antibiotic treatments and prevention strategies for UTIs. Medicinal plants have wide therapeutic applications in both the prevention and management of many ailments. Bacopa monnieri is a medicinal plant that is found in the warmer and wetlands regions of the world. It has been used in Ayurvedic systems for centuries. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial potential of the extract of B. monnieri leaves and its bioactive molecules against UTIs that are caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis. This in vitro experimental study was conducted by an agar well diffusion method to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of 80% methanol, 96% ethanol, and aqueous extracts of B. monnieri leaves on uropathogens. Then, further screening of their phytochemicals was carried out using standard methods. To validate the bioactive molecules and the microbe interactions, AutoDock Vina software was used for molecular docking with the Klebsiella pneumoniae fosfomycin resistance protein (5WEW) and the Zn-dependent receptor-binding domain of Proteus mirabilis MR/P fimbrial adhesin MrpH (6Y4F). Toxicity prediction and drug likeness were predicted using ProTox-II and Molinspiration, respectively. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to study the protein ligand complexes. The methanolic leaves extract of B. monnieri revealed a 22.3 mm ± 0.6 mm to 25.0 mm ± 0.5 mm inhibition zone, while ethanolic extract seemed to produce 19.3 mm ± 0.8 mm to 23.0 mm ± 0.4 mm inhibition zones against K. pneumoniae with the use of increasing concentrations. In the case of P. mirabilis activity, the methanolic extracts showed a 21.0 mm ± 0.8 mm to 24.0 mm ± 0.6 mm zone of inhibition and the ethanol extract produced a 17.0 mm ± 0.9 mm to 23.0 mm ± 0.7 mm inhibition zone with increasing concentrations. Carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponin, phenolic, and terpenoid were common phytoconstituents identified in B. monnieri extracts. Oroxindin showed the best interactions with the binding energies with 5WEW and 6Y4F, -7.5 kcal/mol and -7.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Oroxindin, a bioactive molecule, followed Lipinski's rule of five and exhibited stability in the MD simulation. The overall results suggest that Oroxindin from B. monnieri can be a potent inhibitor for the effective killing of K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis. Additionally, its safety has been established, indicating its potential for future drug discovery and development in the treatment for UTIs.

Biopolymeric nanoparticles based effective delivery of bioactive compounds toward the sustainable development of anticancerous therapeutics

Nowadays, effective cancer therapy is a global concern, and recent advances in nanomedicine are crucial. Cancer is one of the major fatal diseases and a leading cause of death globally. Nanotechnology provides rapidly evolving delivery systems in science for treating diseases in a site-specific manner using natural bioactive compounds, which are gaining widespread attention. Nanotechnology combined with bioactives is a very appealing and relatively new area in cancer treatment. Natural bioactive compounds have the potential to be employed as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, in addition to their nutritional benefits. Alginate, pullulan, cellulose, polylactic acid, chitosan, and other biopolymers have been effectively used in the delivery of therapeutics to a specific site. Because of their biodegradability, biopolymeric nanoparticles (BNPs) have received a lot of attention in the development of new anticancer drug delivery systems. Biopolymer-based nanoparticle systems can be made in a variety of ways. These systems have developed as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to boost treatment efficacy. Effective drug delivery systems with improved availability, increased selectivity, and lower toxicity are needed. Recent research findings and current knowledge on the use of BNPs in the administration of bioactive chemicals in cancer therapy are summarized in this review.

Tissue engineered drug delivery vehicles: Methods to monitor and regulate the release behavior

Tissue engineering is a rapidly evolving, multidisciplinary field that aims at generating or regenerating 3D functional tissues for in vitro disease modeling and drug screening applications or for in vivo therapies. A variety of advanced biological and engineering methods are increasingly being used to further enhance and customize the functionality of tissue engineered scaffolds. To this end, tunable drug delivery and release mechanisms are incorporated into tissue engineering modalities to promote different therapeutic processes, thus, addressing challenges faced in the clinical applications. In this review, we elaborate the mechanisms and recent developments in different drug delivery vehicles, including the quantum dots, nano/micro particles, and molecular agents. Different loading strategies to incorporate the therapeutic reagents into the scaffolding structures are explored. Further, we discuss the main mechanisms to tune and monitor/quantify the release kinetics of embedded drugs from engineered scaffolds. We also survey the current trend of drug delivery using stimuli driven biopolymer scaffolds to enable precise spatiotemporal control of the release behavior. Recent advancements, challenges facing current scaffold-based drug delivery approaches, and areas of future research are discussed.

Biomedical Applications of polymeric micelles in the treatment of diabetes mellitus: Current success and future approaches

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disease and multifactorial, harming patients worldwide. Extensive research has been carried out in the search for novel drug delivery systems offering reliable control of glucose levels for diabetics, aiming at efficient management of DM.

AREAS COVERED

Polymeric micelles (PMs) as smart drug delivery nanocarriers are discussed, focusing on oral drug delivery applications for the management of hyperglycemia. The most recent approaches used for the preparation of smart PMs employ molecular features of amphiphilic block copolymers (ABCs), such as stimulus sensitivity, ligand conjugation, and as a more specific example the ability to inhibit islet amyloidosis.

EXPERT OPINION

PMs provide a unique platform for self-regulated or spatiotemporal drug delivery, mimicking the working mode of pancreatic islets to maintain glucose homeostasis for prolonged periods. This unique characteristic is achieved by tailoring the functional chemistry of ABCs considering the physicochemical traits of PMs, including sensing capabilities, hydrophobicity, etc. In addition, the application of ABCs for the inhibition of conformational changes in islet amyloid polypeptide garnered attention as one of the root causes of DM. However, research in this field is limited and further studies at the clinical level are required.

Recent advancements of nanoparticles application in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders: At a glance

Nanoscale engineering is one of the innovative approaches to heal multitudes of ailments, such as varieties of malignancies, neurological problems, and infectious illnesses. Therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) may be modified in aspect because of their ability to stimulate physiological response while limiting negative consequences by interfacing and activating possible targets. Nanomaterials have been extensively studied and employed for cancerous therapeutic strategies since nanomaterials potentially play a significant role in medical transportation. When compared to conventional drug delivery, nanocarriers drug delivery offers various benefits, such as excellent reliability, bioactivity, improved penetration and retention impact, as well as precise targeting and administering. Upregulation of drug efflux transporters, dysfunctional apoptotic mechanisms, and a hypoxic atmosphere are all elements that lead to cancer treatment sensitivity in humans. It has been possible to target these pathways using nanoparticles and increase the effectiveness of multidrug resistance treatments. As innovative strategies of tumor chemoresistance are uncovered, nanomaterials are being developed to target specific pathways of tumor resilience. Scientists have recently begun investigating the function of nanoparticles in immunotherapy, a field that is becoming increasingly useful in the care of malignancies. Nanoscale therapeutics have been explored in this scientific literature and represent the most current approaches to neurodegenerative illnesses and cancer therapy. In addition, current findings and various biomedical nanomaterials' future promise for tissue regeneration, prospective medication design, and the synthesis of novel delivery approaches have been emphasized.

Synthesis and characterization of photo-crosslinkable cinnamate-functionalized pectin

The polysaccharide pectin (PC) was functionalized with the photo-responsive cinnamic acid hydrazide (CN) to produce the photo-crosslinkable PC-CN hydrogel material that was then evaluated as a carrier for encapsulation of the drug model aspirin. Cinnamic acid hydrazide was first prepared and then incorporated with the abundant -COOCH₃ groups on the pectin chain via hydrazide linkage. The obtained polymeric derivatives have been characterized by means of instrumental techniques including FTIR and NMR. The obtained PC-CN hydrogels with different cinnamic functionality were also freeze-dried and examined by SEM, which indicated more coherent hydrogel texture by increasing the cinnamic functionalization. The effect of the photo-curing time, as well as the functionalization degree, on the swelling and gelation of the obtained hydrogel was also studied to evaluate the potential of the developed material in drug delivery systems using aspirin as a common and available drug model. The developed PC-CN hydrogel materials exhibited high potential as a drug carrier that enables the control of the drug release via optimizing both the degree of cinnamic functionality and the photo-curing time.

Injectable Natural Polymer Hydrogels for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a serious chronic and degenerative disease that increasingly occurs in the aged population. Its current clinical treatments are limited to symptom relief and cannot regenerate cartilage. Although a better understanding of OA pathophysiology has been facilitating the development of novel therapeutic regimen, delivery of therapeutics to target sites with minimal invasiveness, high retention, and minimal side effects remains a challenge. Biocompatible hydrogels have been recognized to be highly promising for controlled delivery and release of therapeutics and biologics for tissue repair. In this review, the current approaches and the challenges in OA treatment, and unique properties of injectable natural polymer hydrogels as delivery system to overcome the challenges are presented. The common methods for fabrication of injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogels and the effects of their composition and properties on the OA treatment are detailed. The strategies of the use of hydrogels for loading and release cargos are also covered. Finally, recent efforts on the development of injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogels for OA treatment are highlighted, and their current limitations are discussed.

NANOCOMPOSITES BASED ON SINGLECOMPONENT AND MULTICOMPONENT POLYMER MATRICES FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

The review is devoted to analysis of the publications in the area of polymers of biomedical applications. Different types of the polymer matrices for drug delivery are analyzed, including polyurethanes, hydroxyacrylates, and multicomponent polymer matrices, which created by method of interpenetrating polymer networks. Particular attention is paid to description of synthesized and investigated nanocomposites based on polyurethane / poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) polymer matrix and nanooxides modified by biologically active compounds.

Polymeric Coatings and Antimicrobial Peptides as Efficient Systems for Treating Implantable Medical Devices Associated-Infections

Many infections are associated with the use of implantable medical devices. The excessive utilization of antibiotic treatment has resulted in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, scientists have recently focused on conceiving new ways for treating infections with a longer duration of action and minimum environmental toxicity. One approach in infection control is based on the development of antimicrobial coatings based on polymers and antimicrobial peptides, also termed as “natural antibiotics”.