Inhaled deep eutectic solvent based-nanoemulsion of pirfenidone in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Engineered extracellular vesicles for targeted reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts to potentiate therapy of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadly malignancies with a significant mortality rate and there are currently few therapeutic options for it. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic cancer, distinguished by fibrosis and the existence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), exerts a pivotal influence on both tumor advancement and resistance to therapy. Recent advancements in the field of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) offer novel avenues for targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to develop engineered EVs for the targeted reprogramming of CAFs and modulating the TME in pancreatic cancer. EVs obtained from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were loaded with miR-138-5p and the anti-fibrotic agent pirfenidone (PFD) and subjected to surface modification with integrin α5-targeting peptides (named IEVs-PFD/138) to reprogram CAFs and suppress their pro-tumorigenic effects. Integrin α5-targeting peptide modification enhanced the CAF-targeting ability of EVs. miR-138-5p directly inhibited the formation of the FERMT2-TGFBR1 complex, inhibiting TGF-β signaling pathway activation. In addition, miR-138-5p inhibited proline-mediated collagen synthesis by directly targeting the FERMT2-PYCR1 complex. The combination of miR-138-5p and PFD in EVs synergistically promoted CAF reprogramming and suppressed the pro-cancer effects of CAFs. Preclinical experiments using the orthotopic stroma-rich and patient-derived xenograft mouse models yielded promising results. In particular, IEVs-PFD/138 effectively reprogrammed CAFs and remodeled TME, which resulted in decreased tumor pressure, enhanced gemcitabine perfusion, tumor hypoxia amelioration, and greater sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Thus, the strategy developed in this study can improve chemotherapy outcomes. Utilizing IEVs-PFD/138 as a targeted therapeutic agent to modulate CAFs and the TME represents a promising therapeutic approach for pancreatic cancer.

Deep eutectic solvent self-assembled reverse nanomicelles for transdermal delivery of sparingly soluble drugs

BACKGROUND

Transdermal delivery of sparingly soluble drugs is challenging due to their low solubility and poor permeability. Deep eutectic solvent (DES)/or ionic liquid (IL)-mediated nanocarriers are attracting increasing attention. However, most of them require the addition of auxiliary materials (such as surfactants or organic solvents) to maintain the stability of formulations, which may cause skin irritation and potential toxicity.

RESULTS

We fabricated an amphiphilic DES using natural oxymatrine and lauric acid and constructed a novel self-assembled reverse nanomicelle system (DES-RM) based on the features of this DES. Synthesized DESs showed the broad liquid window and significantly solubilized a series of sparingly soluble drugs, and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models with good prediction ability were further built. The experimental and molecular dynamics simulation elucidated that the self-assembly of DES-RM was adjusted by noncovalent intermolecular forces. Choosing triamcinolone acetonide (TA) as a model drug, the skin penetration studies revealed that DES-RM significantly enhanced TA penetration and retention in comparison with their corresponding DES and oil. Furthermore, in vivo animal experiments demonstrated that TA@DES-RM exhibited good anti-psoriasis therapeutic efficacy as well as biocompatibility.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study offers innovative insights into the optimal design of micellar nanodelivery system based on DES combining experiments and computational simulations and provides a promising strategy for developing efficient transdermal delivery systems for sparingly soluble drugs.

Emerging delivery approaches for targeted pulmonary fibrosis treatment

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive, and life-threatening interstitial lung disease which causes scarring in the lung parenchyma and thereby affects architecture and functioning of lung. It is an irreversible damage to lung functioning which is related to epithelial cell injury, immense accumulation of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines, and irregular recruitment of extracellular matrix. The inflammatory cytokines trigger the differentiation of fibroblasts into activated fibroblasts, also known as myofibroblasts, which further increase the production and deposition of collagen at the injury sites in the lung. Despite the significant morbidity and mortality associated with PF, there is no available treatment that efficiently and effectively treats the disease by reversing their underlying pathologies. In recent years, many therapeutic regimens, for instance, rho kinase inhibitors, Smad signaling pathway inhibitors, p38, BCL-xL/ BCL-2 and JNK pathway inhibitors, have been found to be potent and effective in treating PF, in preclinical stages. However, due to non-selectivity and non-specificity, the therapeutic molecules also result in toxicity mediated severe side effects. Hence, this review demonstrates recent advances on PF pathology, mechanism and targets related to PF, development of various drug delivery systems based on small molecules, RNAs, oligonucleotides, peptides, antibodies, exosomes, and stem cells for the treatment of PF and the progress of various therapeutic treatments in clinical trials to advance PF treatment.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: An Eco-friendly Design for Drug Engineering

In the spirit of circular economy and sustainable chemistry, the use of environmentally friendly chemical products in pharmacy has become a hot topic. In recent years, organic solvents have been the subject of a great range of restriction policies due to their harmful effects on the environment and toxicity to human health. In parallel, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as suitable greener solvents with beneficial environmental impacts and a rich palette of physicochemical advantages related to their low cost and biocompatibility. Additionally, DESs can enable remarkable solubilizing effect for several active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), thus forming therapeutic DESs (TheDESs). In this work, special attention is paid to DESs, presenting a precise definition, classification, methods of preparation, and characterization. A description of natural DESs (NaDESs), i. e., eutectic solvents present in natural sources, is also reported. Moreover, the present review article is the first one to detail the different approaches for judiciously selecting the constituents of DESs in order to minimize the number of experiments. The role of DESs in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and their impact on the development of successful therapies are also discussed.

Relaxin-Loaded Inhaled Porous Microspheres Inhibit Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Improve Pulmonary Function Post-Bleomycin Challenges

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) causes worsening pulmonary function, and no effective treatment for the disease etiology is available now. Recombinant Human Relaxin-2 (RLX), a peptide agent with anti-remodeling and anti-fibrotic effects, is a promising biotherapeutic candidate for musculoskeletal fibrosis. However, due to its short circulating half-life, optimal efficacy requires continuous infusion or repeated injections. Here, we developed the porous microspheres loading RLX (RLX@PMs) and evaluated their therapeutic potential on IPF by aerosol inhalation. RLX@PMs have a large geometric diameter as RLX reservoirs for a long-term drug release, but smaller aerodynamic diameter due to their porous structures, which were beneficial for higher deposition in the deeper lungs. The results showed a prolonged release over 24 days, and the released drug maintained its peptide structure and activity. RLX@PMs protected mice from excessive collagen deposition, architectural distortion, and decreased compliance after a single inhalation administration in the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. Moreover, RLX@PMs showed better safety than frequent gavage administration of pirfenidone. We also found RLX-ameliorated human myofibroblast-induced collagen gel contraction and suppressed macrophage polarization to the M2 type, which may be the reason for reversing fibrosis. Hence, RLX@PMs represent a novel strategy for the treatment of IPF and suggest clinical translational potential.

A fibroblastic foci-targeting and hypoxia-cleavable delivery system of pirfenidone for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The progressive formation of fibroblastic foci characterizes idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and excessive oral doses of approved pirfenidone (PFD) always cause gastrointestinal side effects. The fibrotic response driven by activated fibroblasts could perpetuate epithelial damage and promote abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. When modified nanoparticles reach their target, it is important to ensure a responsive release of PFD. Hypoxia is a determining factor in IPF, leading to alveolar dysfunction and deeper cellular fibrosis. Herein, a fibroblastic foci-targeting and hypoxia-cleavable drug delivery system (Fn-Azo-BSA@PEG) was established to reprogram the fibrosis in IPF. We have modified the FnBAP5 peptide to enable comprehensive fibroblastic foci targeting, which helps BSA nanoparticles recognize and accumulate at fibrotic sites. Meantime, the hypoxia-responsive azobenzene group allowed for efficient and rapid drug diffusion, while the PEGylated BSA reduced system toxicity and increased circulation in vivo. As expected, the strategy of the fibronectin-targeting-modification and hypoxia-responsive drug release synergistically inhibited activated fibroblasts and reduced the secretion of the fibrosis-related protein. Fn-Azo-BSA@PEG could accumulate in pulmonary tissue and prolong the survival time in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice. Together, the multivalent BSA nanoparticles offered an efficient approach for improving lung architecture and function by regulating the fibroblastic foci and hypoxia. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We established fibroblastic foci-targeting and hypoxia-cleavable bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (Fn-Azo-BSA@PEG) to reprogramme the fibroblastic foci in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Fn-Azo-BSA@PEG was designed to actively target fibroblasts and abnormal ECM with the FnBPA5 peptide, delivering more FDA-approved pirfenidone (PFD) to the cross-talk within the foci. Once the drug reached fibroblastic foci, the azobenzene group acted as a hypoxia-responsive linker to trigger effective and rapid drug release. Hypoxic responsiveness and FnBAP5-modification of Fn-Azo-BSA@PEG synergistically inhibited the secretion of proteins closely related to fibrogenesis. BSA's inherent transport and metabolic pathways in the pulmonary reduced the side effects of the main organs. The multivalent BSA nanoparticles efficiently inhibited IPF-fibrosis progress and preserved the lung architecture by regulating the fibroblastic foci and hypoxia.