Protein delivery based on uncoated and chitosan-coated mesoporous silicon microparticles

Enteric Polymer-Coated Porous Silicon Nanoparticles for Site-Specific Oral Delivery of IgA Antibody

Porous silicon (pSi) nanoparticles are loaded with Immunoglobulin A-2 (IgA2) antibodies, and the assembly is coated with pH-responsive polymers on the basis of the Eudragit family of enteric polymers (L100, S100, and L30-D55). The temporal release of the protein from the nanocomposite formulations is quantified following an in vitro protocol simulating oral delivery: incubation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF; at pH 1.2) for 2 h, followed by a fasting state simulated intestinal fluid (FasSIF; at pH 6.8) or phosphate buffer solution (PBS; at pH 7.4). The nanocomposite formulations display a negligible release in SGF, while more than 50% of the loaded IgA2 is released in solutions at a pH of 6.8 (FasSIF) or 7.4 (PBS). Between 21 and 44% of the released IgA2 retains its functional activity. A capsule-based system is also evaluated, where the IgA2-loaded particles are packed into a gelatin capsule and the capsule is coated with either EudragitL100 or EudragitS100 polymer for a targeted release in the small intestine or the colon, respectively. The capsule-based formulations outperform polymer-coated nanoparticles in vitro, preserving 45-54% of the activity of the released protein.

Surface modified porous silicon with chitosan coating as a pH-responsive controlled delivery system for lutein

Surface modified pH-responsive porous silicon (PSi) carriers were developed for efficient delivery of lutein. PSi particles were prepared by the electrochemical etching method and modified with two chemical groups: hydroxyl and octadecyl silane, respectively. Chitosan (CS) was used for coating of PSi to ensure pH-responsive release. The loading conditions, release properties, cytotoxicity and toxicity were investigated. The highest loading percentage of lutein could be obtained with oxidized PSi and the structure of the microparticles was characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The surface area and pore size of the microparticles were obtained from the N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm. The CS-PSi-Lut microparticles showed the minimum surface area of 220.30 m² g^-1 and a relatively larger average pore width of 179.00 Å. In vitro release experiments showed a pH-responsive and controlled release of lutein, with the fastest release rate and highest cumulative release rate of 97% under acidic conditions (pH 5.0) within 7 h. PSi, chitosan and lutein showed synergistic toxic effects, and the CS-PSi-Lut microparticles could effectively inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with an inhibition rate of 77% when the lutein concentration reached 40 μg mL^-1. The in vivo toxicological evaluation of CS-PSi-Lut microparticles indicated good biocompatibility in the range of experimental doses. The chitosan-coated oxidized PSi capable of delivering bioactive compounds in a targeted and controlled manner provides a novel platform for the development and application of lutein.

Photoluminescent Nanomaterials for Medical Biotechnology

Creation of various photoluminescent nanomaterials has significantly expanded the arsenal of approaches used in modern biomedicine. Their unique photophysical properties can significantly improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic methods, increase therapy effectiveness, and make a theranostic approach to treatment possible through the application of nanoparticle conjugates with functional macromolecules. The most widely used nanomaterials to date are semiconductor quantum dots; gold nanoclusters; carbon dots; nanodiamonds; semiconductor porous silicon; and up-conversion nanoparticles. This paper considers the promising groups of photoluminescent nanomaterials that can be used in medical biotechnology: in particular, for devising agents for optical diagnostic methods, sensorics, and various types of therapy.

Bone Morphogenic Protein 2-Loaded Porous Silicon Carriers for Osteoinductive Implants

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are probably the most important growth factors in bone formation and healing. However, the utilization of BMPs in clinical applications is mainly limited due to the protein poor solubility at physiological pH, rapid clearance and relatively short biological half-life. Herein, we develop degradable porous silicon (PSi)-based carriers for sustained delivery of BMP-2. Two different loading approaches are examined, physical adsorption and covalent conjugation, and their effect on the protein loading and release rate is thoroughly studied. The entrapment of the protein within the PSi nanostructures preserved its bioactivity for inducing osteogenic differentiation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stems cells (BM-MSCs). BM-MSCs cultured with the BMP-2 loaded PSi carriers exhibit a relatively high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. We also demonstrate that exposure of MSCs to empty PSi (no protein) carriers generates some extent of differentiation due to the ability of the carrier's degradation products to induce osteoblast differentiation. Finally, we demonstrate the integration of these promising BMP-2 carriers within a 3D-printed patient-specific implant, constructed of poly(caprolactone) (PCL), as a potential bone graft for critical size bone defects.

Novel technique of insulin loading into porous carriers for oral delivery

The increasing demand for oral macromolecule delivery encouraged the development of microencapsulation technologies to protect such drugs against gastric and enzymatic degradation. However, microencapsulation often requires harsh conditions that may jeopardize their biological activity. Accordingly, many trials attempted to load macromolecules into porous drug carriers to bypass any formulation induced instability. In this study, we prepared chitosan coated porous poly (d, l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) loaded with insulin using a novel loading technique; double freeze-drying. The results showed a significant increase in drug loading using only 5 mg/ml initial insulin concentration and conveyed a sustained drug release over uncoated MPs. Furthermore, SEM and confocal microscopy confirmed pore blocking and insulin accumulation within the MPs respectively. The oral pharmacodynamic data on rats also proved the preservation of insulin bioactivity after formulation. Finally, the new coating technique proved to be efficient in producing robust layer of chitosan with higher insulin loading while maintaining insulin activity.

Energy Landscape of Negatively Charged BSA Adsorbed on a Negatively Charged Silica Surface

We study the energy landscape of the negatively charged protein bovine serum albumin adsorbed on a negatively charged silica surface at pH 7. We use fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) and steered MD (SMD) to probe the energy of adsorption and the pathway for the surface diffusion of the protein and its associated activation energy. We find an adsorption energy ∼1.2 eV, which implies that adsorption is irreversible even on experimental time scales of hours. In contrast, the activation energy for surface diffusion is ∼0.4 eV so that it is observable on the MD simulation time scale of 100 ns. This analysis paves the way for a more detailed understanding of how a protein layer forms on biomaterial surfaces, even when the protein and surface share the same electrical polarity.

Bovine Serum Albumin Adsorption at a Silica Surface Explored by Simulation and Experiment

Molecular details of BSA adsorption on a silica surface are revealed by fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with a 0.5 μs trajectory), supported by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, multiparametric surface plasmon resonance (MP-SPR), and contact angle experiments. The experimental and theoretical methods complement one another and lead to a wider understanding of the mechanism of BSA adsorption across a range of pH 3-9. The MD results show how the negatively charged BSA at pH7 adsorbs to the negatively charged silica surface, and reveal a unique orientation with preserved secondary and tertiary structure. The experiments then show that the protein forms complete monolayers at ∼ pH6, just above the protein's isoelectric point (pH5.1). The surface contact angle is maximum when it is completely coated with protein, and the hydrophobicity of the surface is understood in terms of the simulated protein conformation. The adsorption behavior at higher pH > 6 is also consistently interpreted using the MD picture; both the contact angle and the adsorbed protein mass density decrease with increasing pH, in line with the increasing magnitude of negative charge on both the protein and the surface. At lower pH < 5 the protein starts to unfold, and the adsorbed mass dramatically decreases. The comprehensive picture that emerges for the formation of oriented protein films with preserved native conformation will help guide efforts to create functional films for new technologies.

Drug release profiles of modified MCM-41 with superparamagnetic behavior correlated with the employed synthesis method

Mesoporous materials with superparamagnetic properties were successfully synthesized by two different methods: direct incorporation (DI) and wet impregnation (WI). The synthetized solids were evaluated as host of drugs for delivery systems and their physicochemical properties were characterized by XRD, ICP, N₂ adsorption-desorption, spectroscopies of UV-Vis DR, FT-IR and their magnetic properties were measured. Indomethacin (IND) was incorporated into the materials and the kinetic of the release profiles was studied by applying the Pepas and Sahlin model. In this sense, materials modified by DI, particularly that with hydrothermal treatment, showed the higher adsorption capacity and slower release rate. This behavior could be associated to the synthesis method used that allowed a high percentage of silanol groups available in the solids surface, which can interact with the IND molecule. This feature coupled with the superparamagnetic behavior; make these materials very interesting for drug delivery systems.

Acetate ions enhance load and stability of doxorubicin onto PEGylated nanodiamond for selective tumor intracellular controlled release and therapy

A successful drug delivery device for cancer chemotherapy should ideally be able to load drugs highly, bring the drug preferentially into tumor cells and reduce its distribution in normal tissue to enhance therapeutic efficacy. To this purpose, a novel protocol for DOX-loaded PEGylated nanodiamond (ND-PEG-DOX/NaAc, NPDA) was fabricated using sodium acetate medium. The NPDA nanoparticles exhibited a maximum loading efficiency (99 wt%) with ultra-low drug leakage (7 wt%). Examination by confocal microscope and flow cytometer showed that the NPDA uptake by cells was time-dependent, with a slow and sustained drug release from the lysosomes at a low pH. Also, when CHO (a normal cell) and MCF-7 (a cancer cell) were treated with NPDA, the results demonstrated that NPDA preferentially accumulated much more in tumor cells than in normal cells, which implied that NPDA has the ability to selectively kill tumor cells. In addition, NPDA can inhibit the migration and proliferation of tumor cells and change the cell cycle compared to the free drug. Outcomes from this work suggest that NPDA would be a promising drug delivery platform and the preparation of such a drug delivery system will also have implications in improving the biomedical applications of smart nanodiamond carriers.

A stimuli-responsive nanoparticulate system using poly(ethylenimine)-graft-polysorbate for controlled protein release

Proteins have emerged as an important class of therapeutic agents due to their high specificity in their physiological actions. Over the years, diverse protein carriers have been developed; however, some concerns, such as the relatively low loading efficiency and release sustainability, have limited the efficiency of protein delivery. This study reports the use of hydrogel nanoparticles based on a novel copolymer, poly(ethylenimine)-graft-polysorbate (PEIP), as effective protein carriers. The copolymer is fabricated by grafting poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) with polysorbate 20 using carbonyldiimidazole chemistry. Its cytotoxicity is much lower than that of unmodified PEI in RGC5 and HEK293 cells. In comparison with nanoparticles formed by unmodified PEI, our nanoparticles are not only more efficient in cellular internalization, as indicated by the 5- to 6-fold reduction in the time they take to cause 90% of cells to exhibit intracellular fluorescence, but also give a protein loading efficiency as high as 70-90%. These, together with the salt-responsiveness of the nanoparticles in protein release and the retention of the activity of the loaded protein, suggest that PEIP and its hydrogel nanoparticles warrant further development as protein carriers for therapeutic applications.

Invasin-functionalized liposome nanocarriers improve the intracellular delivery of anti-infective drugs

Liposomes containing gentamicin and surface-functionalized with InvA497 showed a reduced infection load of both cytosolic and vacuolar intracellular bacteria.

Pore size is a critical parameter for obtaining sustained protein release from electrochemically synthesized mesoporous silicon microparticles

Mesoporous silicon has become a material of high interest for drug delivery due to its outstanding internal surface area and inherent biodegradability. We have previously reported the preparation of mesoporous silicon microparticles (MS-MPs) synthesized by an advantageous electrochemical method, and showed that due to their inner structure they can adsorb proteins in amounts exceeding the mass of the carrier itself. Protein release from these MS-MPs showed low burst effect and fast delivery kinetics with complete release in a few hours. In this work, we explored if tailoring the size of the inner pores of the particles would retard the protein release process. To address this hypothesis, three new MS-MPs prototypes were prepared by electrochemical synthesis, and the resulting carriers were characterized for morphology, particle size, and pore structure. All MS-MP prototypes had 90 µm mean particle size, but depending on the current density applied for synthesis, pore size changed between 5 and 13 nm. The model protein α-chymotrypsinogen was loaded into MS-MPs by adsorption and solvent evaporation. In the subsequent release experiments, no burst release of the protein was detected for any prototype. However, prototypes with larger pores (>10 nm) reached 100% release in 24-48 h, whereas prototypes with small mesopores (<6 nm) still retained most of their cargo after 96 h. MS-MPs with ∼6 nm pores were loaded with the osteogenic factor BMP7, and sustained release of this protein for up to two weeks was achieved. In conclusion, our results confirm that tailoring pore size can modify protein release from MS-MPs, and that prototypes with potential therapeutic utility for regional delivery of osteogenic factors can be prepared by convenient techniques.

Lysozyme adsorption at a silica surface using simulation and experiment: effects of pH on protein layer structure

Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL) is a widely used exemplar to study protein adsorption on surfaces and interfaces. Here we use fully atomistic Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, Multi-Parametric Surface Plasmon Resonance (MP-SPR), contact angle and zeta potential measurements to study HEWL adsorption at a silica surface. The simulations provide a detailed description of the adsorption mechanism and indicate that at pH7 the main adsorption driving force is electrostatics, supplemented by weaker hydrophobic forces. Moreover, they reveal the preferred orientation of the adsorbed protein and show that its structure is only slightly altered at the interface with the surface. This provides the basis for interpreting the experimental results, which indicate the surface adsorbs a close-packed monolayer at about pH10 where the surface has a large negative zeta potential and the HEWL is positively charged. At higher pH, the adsorption amount of the protein layer is greatly reduced due to the loss of charge on the protein. At lower pH, the smaller zeta potential of the surface leads to lower HEWL adsorption. These interpretations are complemented by the contact angle measurements that show how the hydrophobicity of the surface is greatest when the surface coverage is highest. The simulations provide details of the hydrophobic residues exposed to solution by the adsorbed HEWL, completing the picture of the protein layer structure.

Chitosan coatings to control release and target tissues for therapeutic delivery

The natural biopolymer chitosan has versatile applications in therapeutic delivery. Coating drug delivery matrices or biomaterials with chitosan offers several advantages in drug delivery, including control of drug release, slowing degradation rate and improving biocompatibility. Advanced uses of chitosan in coating form include targeting drug delivery vehicles to specific tissue as well as providing a stimulus-controlled release response. The present review summarizes the current applications of chitosan coatings in the context of different biomaterial delivery technologies, as well as future directions of chitosan coatings for drug delivery technologies under development.

Development of an oral push-pull osmotic pump of fenofibrate-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles

In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were used to prepare an oral push–pull osmotic pump. Fenofibrate, the selected model drug, was firstly loaded into the MSNs, followed by a suspending agent consisting of a drug layer of push–pull osmotic pump. Fenofibrate-loaded MSNs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD) analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Polyethylene oxide of molecular weight (MW) 100,000 and polyethylene oxide of MW 6,000,000 were selected as the suspending agent and the expanding agent, respectively. Cellulose acetate was used as the semipermeable membrane, along with polyethylene glycol 6,000 to increase the flexibility and control the membrane permeability. The in vitro dissolution studies indicated that the osmotic pump tablet combined with MSNs was able to deliver fenofibrate in an approximately zero-order manner in 24 hours. A pharmacokinetic study showed that, although the maximum plasma concentration of the osmotic pump was lower than that of the reference formulation, the relative bioavailability was increased, indicating that the osmotic pump was more efficient than the reference tablets. Therefore, using MSNs as a carrier for poorly water-soluble drugs is an effective method for preparing osmotic pump tablets.

Dendrimers complexed with HIV-1 peptides interact with liposomes and lipid monolayers

AIMS

We have investigated the effect of surface charge of model lipid membranes on their interactions with dendriplexes formed by HIV-derived peptides and 2 types of positively charged carbosilane dendrimers (CBD).

METHODS

Interaction of dendriplexes with lipid membranes was measured by fluorescence anisotropy, dynamic light scattering and Langmuir-Blodgett techniques. The morphology of the complexes was examined by transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

All dendriplexes independent of the type of peptide interacted with model lipid membranes. Negatively charged vesicles composed of a mixture of DMPC/DPPG interacted more strongly, and it was accompanied by an increase in anisotropy of the fluorescent probe localized in polar domain of lipid bilayers. There was also an increase in surface pressure of the lipid monolayers. Mixing negatively charged liposomes with dendriplexes increased liposome size and made their surface charges more positive.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV-peptide/dendrimer complexes interact with model lipid membranes depending on their surface charge. Carbosilane dendrimers can be useful as non-viral carriers for delivering HIV-peptides into cells.

Monitoring of degradation of porous silicon photonic crystals using digital photography

We report the monitoring of porous silicon (pSi) degradation in aqueous solutions using a consumer-grade digital camera. To facilitate optical monitoring, the pSi samples were prepared as one-dimensional photonic crystals (rugate filters) by electrochemical etching of highly doped p-type Si wafers using a periodic etch waveform. Two pSi formulations, representing chemistries relevant for self-reporting drug delivery applications, were tested: freshly etched pSi (fpSi) and fpSi coated with the biodegradable polymer chitosan (pSi-ch). Accelerated degradation of the samples in an ethanol-containing pH 10 aqueous basic buffer was monitored in situ by digital imaging with a consumer-grade digital camera with simultaneous optical reflectance spectrophotometric point measurements. As the nanostructured porous silicon matrix dissolved, a hypsochromic shift in the wavelength of the rugate reflectance peak resulted in visible color changes from red to green. While the H coordinate in the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color space calculated using the as-acquired photographs was a good monitor of degradation at short times (t < 100 min), it was not a useful monitor of sample degradation at longer times since it was influenced by reflections of the broad spectral output of the lamp as well as from the narrow rugate reflectance band. A monotonic relationship was observed between the wavelength of the rugate reflectance peak and an H parameter value calculated from the average red-green-blue (RGB) values of each image by first independently normalizing each channel (R, G, and B) using their maximum and minimum value over the time course of the degradation process. Spectrophotometric measurements and digital image analysis using this H parameter gave consistent relative stabilities of the samples as fpSi > pSi-ch.

Synthesis and surface modification of polyurethanes with chitosan for antibacterial properties

Surface modification and providing antibacterial properties to the materials or devices are getting great attention especially in the last decades. In this study, polyurethane (PU) films were prepared by synthesizing them in medical purity from toluene diisocyanate and polypropylene ethylene glycol without using any other ingredients and then the film surfaces were modified by covalent immobilization of chitosan (CH) which has antibacterial activity. CH immobilized PU films (PU-CH) were found to be more hydrophilic than control PU films. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses showed higher nitrogen contents and rougher surface topography for PU-CH compared to PU films. Modification with CH significantly increased antibacterial activity against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. It was observed that the number of bacteria colonies were less about 10(2)-10(5) CFU/mL and number of attached viable bacteria decreased significantly after CH modification of PU films.

Porous silicon nanoparticles for nanomedicine: preparation and biomedical applications

The research on porous silicon (PSi) materials for biomedical applications has expanded greatly since the early studies of Leigh Canham more than 25 years ago. Currently, PSi nanoparticles are receiving growing attention from the scientific biomedical community. These nanostructured materials have emerged as promising multifunctional and versatile platforms for nanomedicine in drug delivery, diagnostics and therapy. The outstanding properties of PSi, including excellent in vivo biocompatibility and biodegradability, have led to many applications of PSi for delivery of therapeutic agents. In this review, we highlight current advances and recent efforts on PSi nanoparticles regarding the production properties, efficient drug delivery, multidrug delivery, permeation across biological barriers, biosafety and in vivo tracking for biomedical applications. The constant boost on successful preclinical in vivo data reported so far makes this the ‘golden age’ for PSi, which is expected to finally be translated into the clinic in the near future.

Mesoporous silicon microparticles enhance MHC class I cross-antigen presentation by human dendritic cells

The mesoporous silicon microparticles (MSMPs) are excellent vehicles for releasing molecules inside the cell. The aim of this work was to use MSMPs to deliver viral specific MHC class I restricted epitopes into human antigen presenting cells (monocyte derived dendritic cells, MDDCs) to facilitate their capture, processing, and presentation to CD8+ (cytotoxic) T lymphocytes. We show for the first time that MSMPs vehiculation of antigenic peptides enhances their MHC class I presentation by human MDDCs to CD8 T lymphocytes.

BioMEMS in drug delivery

The drive to design micro-scale medical devices which can be reliably and uniformly mass produced has prompted many researchers to adapt processing technologies from the semiconductor industry. By operating at a much smaller length scale, the resulting biologically-oriented microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) provide many opportunities for improved drug delivery: Low-dose vaccinations and painless transdermal drug delivery are possible through precisely engineered microneedles which pierce the skin's barrier layer without reaching the nerves. Low-power, low-volume BioMEMS pumps and reservoirs can be implanted where conventional pumping systems cannot. Drug formulations with geometrically complex, extremely uniform micro- and nano-particles are formed through micromolding or with microfluidic devices. This review describes these BioMEMS technologies and discusses their current state of implementation. As these technologies continue to develop and capitalize on their simpler integration with other MEMS-based systems such as computer controls and telemetry, BioMEMS' impact on the field of drug delivery will continue to increase.

Recent advances in porous silicon technology for drug delivery

Porous silicon (pSi) is a nanostructured carrier system that has received considerable attention over the past 10 years, for use in a wide variety of biomedical applications, including biosensing, biomedical imaging, tissue scaffolds and drug delivery. This interest is due to several key features of pSi, including excellent in vivo biocompatibility, the ease of surface chemistry modification and the control over its 3D porous network structure. With control of these physical parameters pSi has successfully been used for the delivery of a variety of therapeutics, ranging from small-molecule drugs to larger peptide/protein-type therapeutics. In this review, the authors provide a brief overview of pSi fabrication methods, particularly with regard to the need to passivate the highly reactive Si-Hx surface species of native pSi, typically via thermal oxidation, hydrocarbonization or hydrosilylation. This surface modification, in turn, controls both the loading and release of therapeutics. The authors will then report on specific case studies of leading examples on the use of pSi as a therapeutic-delivery system. Specifically, the first reported in vivo study that demonstrated the use of pSi to improve the delivery of a Biopharmaceutical Classification System Class 2 poorly soluble drug (indomethacin), by using thermally oxidized pSi, is discussed, as well as highlighting a study that determined the biodistribution of 18F-radiolabeled thermally hydrocarbonized pSi after oral dosing. The authors also report on the development of composite pSi–poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles for the controlled delivery of protein therapeutics. Finally, the use of pSi in the delivery of bioactives, such as the successful use of thermally carbonized pSi to deliver Melanotan II, an unspecific agonist for the melanocortin receptors that are involved in controlling fluid uptake is discussed. With a growing body of literature reporting the successful use of pSi to deliver a range of therapeutics, we are entering what may be a golden age for this drug-delivery system, which may finally see the long-held promises finally achieved.

Application of polysaccharides for surface modification of nanomedicines

Polysaccharides have been used in various biomedical applications due to availability and biocompatibility. In particular, polysaccharides have gained increasing interest in the development of functional nanomedicines as a component to provide a stealth function, improve interactions with target tissues or enable environment-responsive drug release. This review discusses recent advances in nanomedicine engineering based on polysaccharides with a specific emphasis on the rationale, applications and the remaining challenges.