Controlled-release of ibuprofen on multilayer mesoporous vesicle

Ibuprofen-Loaded Heparin Modified Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Inhibiting Excessive Inflammation and Promoting Wound Healing

Hydrogels have been investigated as ideal biomaterials for wound treatment owing to their ability to form a highly moist environment which accelerates cell migration and tissue regeneration for prompt wound healing. They can also be used as a drug carrier for local delivery, and are able to activate immune cells to enhance wound healing. Here, we developed heparin-conjugated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), an injectable, in situ gel-forming polymer, and evaluated its use in wound healing. Ibuprofen was encapsulated into the hydrogel to help reduce pain and excessive inflammation during healing. In addition to in vitro studies, a BALB/c mice model was used to evaluate its effect on would healing and the secretion of inflammatory mediators. The in vitro assay confirmed that the ibuprofen released from the hydrogel dramatically reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by suppressing the production of NO, PGE2 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, an in vivo wound healing assay was conducted by applying hydrogels to wounds on the backs of mice. The results showed that the ibuprofen-loaded hydrogel improved healing relative to the phosphate buffered saline group. This study indicates that ibuprofen loaded in an injectable hydrogel is a promising candidate for wound healing therapy.

Trigger chemistries for better industrial formulations

In recent years, innovations and consumer demands have led to increasingly complex liquid formulations. These growing complexities have provided industrial players and their customers access to new markets through product differentiation, improved performance, and compatibility/stability with other products. One strategy for enabling more complex formulations is the use of active encapsulation. When encapsulation is employed, strategies are required to effect the release of the active at the desired location and time of action. One particular route that has received significant academic research effort is the employment of triggers to induce active release upon a specific stimulus, though little has translated for industrial use to date. To address emerging industrial formulation needs, in this review, we discuss areas of trigger release chemistries and their applications specifically as relevant to industrial use. We focus the discussion on the use of heat, light, shear, and pH triggers as applied in several model polymeric systems for inducing active release. The goal is that through this review trends will emerge for how technologies can be better developed to maximize their value through industrial adaptation.