Temperature-modulated noncovalent interaction controllable complex for the long-term delivery of etanercept to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Advanced application of carbohydrate-based micro/nanoparticles for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a kind of synovitis and progressive joint destruction disease. Dysregulated immune cell activation, inflammatory cytokine overproduction, and subsequent reactive oxidative species (ROS) production contribute to the RA process. Carbohydrates, including cellulose, chitosan, alginate and dextran, are among the most abundant and important biomolecules in nature and are widely used in biomedicine. Carbohydrate-based micro/nanoparticles(M/NPs) as functional excipients have the ability to improve the bioavailability, solubility and stability of numerous drugs used in RA therapy. For on-demand therapy, smart reactive M/NPs have been developed to respond to a variety of chemical and physical stimuli, including light, temperature, enzymes, pH and ROS, alternating their physical and macroscopic properties, resulting in innovative new drug delivery systems. In particular, advanced products with targeted dextran or hyaluronic acid are exploiting multiple beneficial properties at the same time. In addition to those that respond, there are promising new derivatives in development with microenvironment and chronotherapy effects. In this review, we provide an overview of these recent developments and an outlook on how this class of agents will further shape the landscape of drug delivery for RA treatment.

Prodrug-based nanomedicines for rheumatoid arthritis

Most antirheumatic drugs with high toxicity exhibit a narrow therapeutic window due to their nonspecific distribution in the body, leading to undesirable side effects and reduced patient compliance. To in response to these challenges, prodrug-based nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (PNDDS), which combines prodrug strategy and nanotechnology into a single system, resulting their many advantages, including stability for prodrug structure, the higher drug loading capacity of the system, improving the target activity and bioavailability, and reducing their untoward effects. PNDDS have gained attention as a method for relieving arthralgia syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis in recent years. This article systematically reviews prodrug-based nanocarriers for rheumatism treatment, including Nano systems based on prodrug-encapsulated nanomedicines and conjugate-based nanomedicines. It provides a new direction for the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Drug Delivery System Approaches for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment: A Review

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that has traditionally been treated using a variety of pharmacological compounds. However, the effectiveness of these treatments is often limited due to challenges associated with their administration. Oral and parenteral routes of drug delivery are often restricted due to issues such as low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, poor absorption, first-pass effect, and severe side effects. In recent years, nanocarrier-based delivery methods have emerged as a promising alternative for overcoming these challenges. Nanocarriers, including nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, nanoemulsions, and stimuli-sensitive carriers, possess unique properties that enable efficient drug delivery and targeted therapy. Using nanocarriers makes it possible to circumvent traditional administration routes' limitations. One of the key advantages of nanocarrier- based delivery is the ability to overcome resistance or intolerance to traditional antirheumatic therapies. Moreover, nanocarriers offer improved drug stability, controlled release kinetics, and enhanced solubility, optimizing the therapeutic effect. They can also protect the encapsulated drug, prolonging its circulation time and facilitating sustained release at the target site. This targeted delivery approach ensures a higher concentration of the therapeutic agent at the site of inflammation, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes. This article explores potential developments in nanotherapeutic regimens for RA while providing a comprehensive summary of current approaches based on novel drug delivery systems. In conclusion, nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising solution for improving the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Further advancements in nanotechnology hold promise for enhancing the efficacy and safety of RA therapies, offering new hope for patients suffering from this debilitating disease.

Nanomedical approaches in the realm of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous autoimmune inflammatory disorder defined by the damage to the bone and cartilage in the synovium, which causes joint impairment and an increase in the mortality rate. It is associated with an incompletely elucidated pathophysiological mechanism. Even though disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs have contributed to recent improvements in the standard of care for RA, only a small fraction of patients is able to attain and maintain clinical remission without the necessity for ongoing immunosuppressive drugs. The evolution of tolerance over time as well as patients' inability to respond to currently available therapy can alter the overall management of RA. A significant increase in the research of RA nano therapies due to the possible improvements they may provide over traditional systemic treatments has been observed. New approaches to getting beyond the drawbacks of existing treatments are presented by advancements in the research of nanotherapeutic techniques, particularly drug delivery nano systems. Via passive or active targeting of systemic delivery, therapeutic drugs can be precisely transported to and concentrated in the affected sites. As a result, nanoscale drug delivery systems improve the solubility and bioavailability of certain drugs and reduce dose escalation. In the present paper, we provide a thorough overview of the possible biomedical applications of various nanostructures in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of RA, derived from the shortcomings of conventional therapies. Moreover, the paper suggests the need for improvement on the basis of research directions and properly designed clinical studies.

Combining nanotechnology with monoclonal antibody drugs for rheumatoid arthritis treatments

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic immune disease characterized by synovial inflammation. Patients with RA commonly experience significant damage to their hand and foot joints, which can lead to joint deformities and even disability. Traditional treatments have several clinical drawbacks, including unclear pharmacological mechanisms and serious side effects. However, the emergence of antibody drugs offers a promising approach to overcome these limitations by specifically targeting interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and other cytokines that are closely related to the onset of RA. This approach reduces the incidence of adverse effects and contributes to significant therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, combining these antibody drugs with drug delivery nanosystems (DDSs) can improve their tissue accumulation and bioavailability.Herein, we provide a summary of the pathogenesis of RA, the available antibody drugs and DDSs that improve the efficacy of these drugs. However, several challenges need to be addressed in their clinical applications, including patient compliance, stability, immunogenicity, immunosupression, target and synergistic effects. We propose strategies to overcome these limitations. In summary, we are optimistic about the prospects of treating RA with antibody drugs, given their specific targeting mechanisms and the potential benefits of combining them with DDSs.

Nanomedicine is more than a supporting role in rheumatoid arthritis therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the joints. Various medications successfully alleviate the symptoms of RA in clinical. Still, few therapy strategies can cure RA, especially when joint destruction begins, and there is currently no effective bone-protective treatment to reverse the articular damage. Furthermore, the RA medications now used in clinical practice accompany various adverse side effects. Nanotechnology can improve the pharmacokinetics of traditional anti-RA drugs and therapeutic precision through targeting modification. Although the clinical application of nanomedicines for RA is in its infancy, preclinical research is rising. Current anti-RA nano-drug studies mainly focus on the following: drug delivery systems, nanomedicines with anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties, biomimetic design with better biocompatibility and therapeutic features, and nanoparticle-dominated energy conversion therapies. These therapies have shown promising therapeutic benefits in animal models, indicating that nanomedicines are a potential solution to the current bottleneck in RA treatment. This review will summarize the present state of anti-RA nano-drug research.

Polymer nanotherapeutics: A versatile platform for effective rheumatoid arthritis therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis is an aggressive and severely debilitating disorder that is characterized by joint pain and cartilage damage. It restricts mobility in patients, leaving them unable to carry out simple tasks. RA presents itself with severe lasting pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and may cause permanent disability in patients. Treatment regimens currently employed for rheumatoid arthritis revolve around keeping clinical symptoms like joint pain, inflammation, swelling and stiffness at bay. The current therapeutic interventions in rheumatoid arthritis involve the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and newer biological drugs that are engineered for inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. These conventional drugs are plagued with severe adverse effects because of their higher systemic distribution, lack of specificity and higher doses. Oral, intra-articular, and intravenous routes are routinely used for drug delivery which is associated with decreased patient compliance, high cost, poor bioavailability and rapid systemic clearance. All these drawbacks have enticed researchers to create novel strategies for drug delivery, the main approach being nanocarrier-based systems. In this article, we aim to consolidate the remarkable contributions of polymeric carrier systems including microneedle technology and smart trigger-responsive polymeric carriers in the management of rheumatoid arthritis along with its detailed pathophysiology. This review also briefly describes the safety and regulatory aspects of polymer therapeutics.

The quest for a better fight: How can nanomaterials address the current therapeutic and diagnostic obstacles in the fight against COVID-19?

The inexorable coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with around 226 million people diagnosed and approximately 4.6 million deaths, is still moving toward more frightening statistics, calling for the urgent need to explore solutions for the current challenges in therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. The challenges associated with existing therapeutics in COVID-19 include lack of in vivo stability, efficacy, and safety. Nanoparticles (NPs) can offer a handful of tools to tackle these problems by enabling efficacious and safe delivery of both virus- and host-directed therapeutics. Furthermore, they can enable maximized clinical outcome while eliminating the chance of resistance to therapy by tissue-targeting and concomitant delivery of multiple therapeutics. The promising application of NPs as vaccine platforms is reflected by the major advances in developing novel COVID-19 vaccines. Two of the most critical COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA-based vaccines delivered via NPs, making them the first FDA-approved mRNA vaccines. Besides, NPs have been deployed as simple, rapid, and precise tools for point of care disease diagnosis. Not enough said NPs can also be exploited in novel ways to expedite the drug discovery process. In light of the above, this review discusses how NPs can overcome the hurdles associated with therapeutic and diagnostic approaches against COVID-19.

Hemagglutinin Nanoparticulate Vaccine with Controlled Photochemical Immunomodulation for Pathogenic Influenza-Specific Immunity

Recently, viral infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and Influenza, are the subjects of major concerns worldwide. One strategy for addressing these concerns focuses on nasal vaccines, which have great potential for achieving successful immunization via safe, easy, and affordable approaches. However, conventional nasal vaccines have major limitations resulting from fast removal when pass through nasal mucosa and mucociliary clearance hindering their effectiveness. Herein a nanoparticulate vaccine (NanoVac) exhibiting photochemical immunomodulation and constituting a new self-assembled immunization system of a photoactivatable polymeric adjuvant with influenza virus hemagglutinin for efficient nasal delivery and antigen-specific immunity against pathogenic influenza viruses is described. NanoVac increases the residence period of antigens and further enhances by spatiotemporal photochemical modulation in the nasal cavity. As a consequence, photochemical immunomodulation of NanoVacs successfully induces humoral and cellular immune responses followed by stimulation of mature dendritic cells, plasma cells, memory B cells, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, resulting in secretion of antigen-specific immunoglobulins, cytokines, and CD8+ T cells. Notably, challenge with influenza virus after nasal immunization with NanoVacs demonstrates robust prevention of viral infection. Thus, this newly designed vaccine system can serve as a promising strategy for developing vaccines that are active against current hazardous pathogen outbreaks and pandemics.

Nanomedicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: State of art and potential therapeutic strategies

Increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has remarkably promoted the development of effective therapeutic regimens of RA. Nevertheless, the inadequate response to current therapies in a proportion of patients, the systemic toxicity accompanied by long-term administration or distribution in non-targeted sites and the comprised efficacy caused by undesirable bioavailability, are still unsettled problems lying across the full remission of RA. So far, these existing limitations have inspired comprehensive academic researches on nanomedicines for RA treatment. A variety of versatile nanocarriers with controllable physicochemical properties, tailorable drug release pattern or active targeting ability were fabricated to enhance the drug delivery efficiency in RA treatment. This review aims to provide an up-to-date progress regarding to RA treatment using nanomedicines in the last 5 years and concisely discuss the potential application of several newly emerged therapeutic strategies such as inducing the antigen-specific tolerance, pro-resolving therapy or regulating the immunometabolism for RA treatments.

Thermoresponsive Nanogels Based on Different Polymeric Moieties for Biomedical Applications

Nanogels, or nanostructured hydrogels, are one of the most interesting materials in biomedical engineering. Nanogels are widely used in medical applications, such as in cancer therapy, targeted delivery of proteins, genes and DNAs, and scaffolds in tissue regeneration. One salient feature of nanogels is their tunable responsiveness to external stimuli. In this review, thermosensitive nanogels are discussed, with a focus on moieties in their chemical structure which are responsible for thermosensitivity. These thermosensitive moieties can be classified into four groups, namely, polymers bearing amide groups, ether groups, vinyl ether groups and hydrophilic polymers bearing hydrophobic groups. These novel thermoresponsive nanogels provide effective drug delivery systems and tissue regeneration constructs for treating patients in many clinical applications, such as targeted, sustained and controlled release.

Stimuli-responsive Drug Delivery Systems as an Emerging Platform for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease accompanied by chronic inflammation. Due to the long-term infiltration in inflammatory sites, joints get steadily deteriorated, eventually resulting in functional incapacitation and disability. Despite the considerable effect, RA sufferers treated with current drug therapeutic efficacy are exposed to severe side effects. Application of Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) has improved these situations while the problem of limited drug exposure remains untackled. Stimuli-responsive DDS that are responsive to a variety of endogenous and exogenous stimuli, such as pH, redox status, and temperature, have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to optimize the drug release. Herein, we discussed the therapeutic regimes and serious side effects of current RA therapy, as well as focused on some of the potential stimuliresponsive DDS utilized in RA therapy. Besides, the prospective room in designing DDS for RA treatment has also been discussed.

Derivatization approaches and applications of pullulan

Pullulan (PUL), a linear exo-polysaccharide, is useful in industries as diverse as food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. PUL presents many favorable characteristics, such as renewable origin, biocompatibility, stability, hydrophilic nature, and availability of reactive sites for chemical modification. With an inherent affinity to asialoglycoprotein receptors, PUL can be used for targeted drug delivery to the liver. Besides, these primary properties have been combined with modern synthetic approaches for developing multifunctional biomaterials. This is evident from numerous studies on approaches, such as hydrophobic modification, cross-linking, grafting and transformation as a polyelectrolyte. In this review, we have discussed up-to-date advances on chemical modifications and emerging applications of PUL in targeted theranostics and tissue engineering. Besides, we offer an overview of its applications in food, cosmetics and environment remediation.

Microneedle-Assisted Transdermal Delivery of Etanercept for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complicated autoimmune disease. The clinical applications of etanercept (EN), a TNF-α inhibitor, can efficiently halt the development of RA. EN is mainly administrated by subcutaneous injection, which may cause low compliance, side effects, and infection risk. In this study, a hyaluronic acid crosslinked microneedle system (MN) was constructed as the transdermal alternative to deliver EN. We describe the formulation, fabrication, characterization, and transdermal insertion study of MN. In vitro bioactivity of EN was conducted and analyzed by dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism spectrum. In vivo evaluation of MN was studied on adjuvant-induced arthritis mice. The MN possessed sufficient mechanical strength, good biocompatibility, little influence on the bioactivity of EN, and high anti-inflammatory efficacy. This work represents a successful example of delivering macromolecule therapeutic treatment by MN for RA treatment. The transdermal delivery of EN by MN offers a new treatment option for RA patients.

Biofunctional Nanofibrous Substrate for Local TNF-Capturing as a Strategy to Control Inflammation in Arthritic Joints

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects the synovial cavity of joints, and its pathogenesis is associated with an increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). It has been clinically shown to have an adequate response to systemic administration of TNF-α inhibitors, although with many shortcomings. To overcome such limitations, the immobilization of a TNF-α antibody on a nanofibrous substrate to promote a localized action is herein proposed. By using this approach, the antibody has its maximum therapeutic efficacy and a prolonged therapeutic benefit, avoiding the systemic side-effects associated with conventional biological agents' therapies. To technically achieve such a purpose, the surface of electrospun nanofibers is initially activated and functionalized, allowing TNF-α antibody immobilization at a maximum concentration of 6 µg/mL. Experimental results evidence that the biofunctionalized nanofibrous substrate is effective in achieving a sustained capture of soluble TNF-α over time. Moreover, cell biology assays demonstrate that this system has no deleterious effect over human articular chondrocytes metabolism and activity. Therefore, the developed TNF-capturing system may represent a potential therapeutic approach for the local management of severely affected joints.

Research progress of self-assembled nanogel and hybrid hydrogel systems based on pullulan derivatives

Polymer nano-sized hydrogels (nanogels) as drug delivery carriers have been investigated over the last few decades. Pullulan, a nontoxic and nonimmunogenic hydrophilic polysaccharide derived from fermentation of black yeast like Aureobasidium pullulans with great biocompatibility and biodegradability, is one of the most attractive carriers for drug delivery systems. In this review, we describe the preparation, characterization, and 'switch-on/off' mechanism of typical pullulan self-assembled nanogels (self-nanogels), and then introduce the development of hybrid hydrogels that are numerous resources applied for regenerative medicine. A major section is used for biomedical applications of different nanogel systems based on modified pullulan, which exert smart stimuli-responses at ambient conditions such as charge, pH, temperature, light, and redox. Pullulan self-nanogels have found increasingly extensive application in protein delivery, tissue engineering, vaccine development, cancer therapy, and biological imaging. Functional groups are incorporated into self-nanogels and contribute to expressing desirable results such as targeting and modified release. Various molecules, especially insoluble or unstable drugs and encapsulated proteins, present improved solubility and bioavailability as well as reduced side effects when incorporated into self-nanogels. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of pullulan self-nanogels will be analyzed accordingly, and the development of pullulan nanogel systems will be reviewed.

Ketoprofen and MicroRNA-124 Co-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres inhibit progression of Adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats

Ketoprofen, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug, is widely used for relieving the pain and swelling caused by rheumatoid arthritis. However, ketoprofen can't suppress disease progression effectively. In this study, in an effort to improve the therapeutic effect for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), microRNA-124 (miR-124), a promising new therapeutic agent for RA, was co-loaded with ketoprofen into poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres and administrated to adjuvant-induced arthritis rats. PLGA microspheres loaded with ketoprofen and miR-124 were prepared by a modified multiple emulsion-solvent evaporation method. In vivo pharmacodynamics experimental results indicated ketoprofen in co-loaded microspheres could significantly reduce inflammation of the joints and miR-124 in the microspheres could reduce bone damage. In addition, ketoprofen and miR-124 co-loaded PLGA microspheres had a remarkable advanced activity over delivery of either miR-124 or ketoprofen in suppressing adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats. Results of western blot and immunohistochemistry revealed that miR-124 could reduce the level of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). These results suggested co-delivery of ketoprofen and miR-124 could achieve synergistic effects on preventing inflammation and bone damage caused by AA. Ketoprofen and miR-124 co-loaded PLGA microspheres could be a promising combined therapeutic strategy against RA.

Lipid-Based Nanoparticles as a Potential Delivery Approach in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic and joint-related autoimmune disease, results in immune dysfunction and destruction of joints and cartilages. Small molecules and biological therapies have been applied in a wide variety of inflammatory disorders, but their utility as a therapeutic agent is limited by poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and serious side effects. To improve these limitations, nanoparticles, which are capable of encapsulating and protecting drugs from degradation before they reach the target site in vivo, may serve as drug delivery systems. The present research proposes a platform for different lipid nanoparticle approaches for RA therapy, taking advantage of the newly emerging field of lipid nanoparticles to develop a targeted theranostic system for application in the treatment of RA. This review aims to present the recent major application of lipid nanoparticles that provide a biocompatible and biodegradable delivery system to effectively improve RA targeting over free drugs via the presentation of tissue-specific targeting of ligand-controlled drug release by modulating nanoparticle composition.

Breaking the Barrier - Potent Anti-Inflammatory Activity following Efficient Topical Delivery of Etanercept using Thermoresponsive Nanogels

Topical administration permits targeted, sustained delivery of therapeutics to human skin. Delivery to the skin, however, is typically limited to lipophilic molecules with molecular weight of < 500 Da, capable of crossing the stratum corneum. Nevertheless, there are indications protein delivery may be possible in barrier deficient skin, a condition found in several inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, using novel nanocarrier systems.

Methods: Water in water thermo-nanoprecipitation; dynamic light scattering; zeta potential measurement; nanoparticle tracking analysis; atomic force microscopy; cryogenic transmission electron microscopy; UV absorption; centrifugal separation membranes; bicinchoninic acid assay; circular dichroism; TNFα binding ELISA; inflammatory skin equivalent construction; human skin biopsies; immunohistochemistry; fluorescence microscopy; western blot; monocyte derived Langerhans cells; ELISA

Results: Here, we report the novel synthesis of thermoresponsive nanogels (tNG) and the stable encapsulation of the anti-TNFα fusion protein etanercept (ETR) (~150 kDa) without alteration to its structure, as well as temperature triggered release from the tNGs. Novel tNG synthesis without the use of organic solvents was conducted, permitting in situ encapsulation of protein during assembly, something that holds great promise for easy manufacture and storage. Topical application of ETR loaded tNGs to inflammatory skin equivalents or tape striped human skin resulted in efficient ETR delivery throughout the SC and into the viable epidermis that correlated with clear anti-inflammatory effects. Notably, effective ETR delivery depended on temperature triggered release following topical application.

Conclusion: Together these results indicate tNGs hold promise as a biocompatible and easy to manufacture vehicle for stable protein encapsulation and topical delivery into barrier-deficient skin.

Modulating the immune system through nanotechnology

Nowadays, nanotechnology-based modulation of the immune system is presented as a cutting-edge strategy, which may lead to significant improvements in the treatment of severe diseases. In particular, efforts have been focused on the development of nanotechnology-based vaccines, which could be used for immunization or generation of tolerance. In this review, we highlight how different immune responses can be elicited by tuning nanosystems properties. In addition, we discuss specific formulation approaches designed for the development of anti-infectious and anti-autoimmune vaccines, as well as those intended to prevent the formation of antibodies against biologicals.

Recent advances in nanomedicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Schematic illustration of inflammatory microenvironment in inflamed joints and events occurring in rheumatoid arthritis.

An Injectable Enzymatically Crosslinked Carboxymethylated Pullulan/Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogel for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

In this study, an enzymatically cross-linked injectable and biodegradable hydrogel system comprising carboxymethyl pullulan-tyramine (CMP-TA) and chondroitin sulfate-tyramine (CS-TA) conjugates was successfully developed under physiological conditions in the presence of both horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for cartilage tissue engineering (CTTE). The HRP crosslinking method makes this injectable system feasible, minimally invasive and easily translatable for regenerative medicine applications. The physicochemical properties of the mechanically stable hydrogel system can be modulated by varying the weight ratio and concentration of polymer as well as the concentrations of crosslinking reagents. Additionally, the cellular behaviour of porcine auricular chondrocytes encapsulated into CMP-TA/CS-TA hydrogels demonstrates that the hydrogel system has a good cyto-compatibility. Specifically, compared to the CMP-TA hydrogel, these CMP-TA/CS-TA composite hydrogels have enhanced cell proliferation and increased cartilaginous ECM deposition, which significantly facilitate chondrogenesis. Furthermore, histological analysis indicates that the hydrogel system exhibits acceptable tissue compatibility by using a mouse subcutaneous implantation model. Overall, the novel injectable pullulan/chondroitin sulfate composite hydrogels presented here are expected to be useful biomaterial scaffold for regenerating cartilage tissue.

Challenges and opportunities for non-antibody scaffold drugs

The first candidates from the promising class of small non-antibody protein scaffolds are now moving into clinical development and practice. Challenges remain, and scaffolds will need to be further tailored toward applications where they provide real advantages over established therapeutics to succeed in a rapidly evolving drug development landscape.

Nanomedicine delivers promising treatments for rheumatoid arthritis

An increased understanding in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reveals that the diseased tissue and the increased presence of macrophages and other overexpressed molecules within the tissue can be exploited to enhance the delivery of nanomedicine. Nanomedicine can passively accumulate into chronic inflammatory tissues via the enhanced permeability and retention phenomenon, or be surface conjugated with a ligand to actively bind to receptors overexpressed by cells within chronic inflammatory tissues, leading to increased efficacy and reduced systemic side-effects. This review highlights the research conducted over the past decade on using nanomedicine for potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and summarizes some of the major findings and promising opportunities on using nanomedicine to treat this prevalent and chronic disease.

Design and processing of nanogels as delivery systems for peptides and proteins

Nanogels, cross-linked networks of >1 μm in size, are attractive drug-delivery systems, as they not only possess the potential advantages of nanoscale formulations, but also the attractive abilities of a hydrogel; high hydrophilicity, high loading capacity and the potential for biocompatibility and controlled release. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of the recent developments within the nanogel field, and how the chemical design of the nanogel polymer has been found to influence the properties of the nanogel system. Novel nanogel systems are discussed with respect to their type of cross-linkage and their suitability as therapeutic delivery systems, as well as their ability to stabilize the protein/peptide drug.