Bovine serum albumin conjugation on poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery applications

Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C. A. Mey Methanol Extract: Nanoencapsulation by Mini-Emulsion Polymerization and its Release Trend under Simulated Conditions of the Human Body

In this research, the extract of Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. was encapsulated using the mini-emulsion polymerization method based on methyl methacrylate polymers with a nanometer size. The encapsulated extract was characterized using different analytical techniques. Furthermore, the loading efficiency and release of the plant extract were examined. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of an expectational product. The TEM and SEM imaging showed a spherical morphology for the prepared encapsulated extract. The average size of poly-methyl-methacrylate nanoparticles containing Ephedra extract was found to be approximately 47 nm. The extract loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency test demonstrated a dose-depending behavior on E. intermedia extract for both analyses, which is highly advantageous for traversing biological barriers. The release assay shows a controlled release for the extract at phosphate buffer solution (PBS). A 38 % release was calculated after 36 hours. The results obtained from the present study reveal that encapsulating the plant extract is a suitable alternative to control and increase their medicinal properties.

Trends in Drug Delivery Systems for Natural Bioactive Molecules to Treat Health Disorders: The Importance of Nano-Liposomes

Drug delivery systems are believed to increase pharmaceutical efficacy and the therapeutic index by protecting and stabilizing bioactive molecules, such as protein and peptides, against body fluids' enzymes and/or unsuitable physicochemical conditions while preserving the surrounding healthy tissues from toxicity. Liposomes are biocompatible and biodegradable and do not cause immunogenicity following intravenous or topical administration. Still, their most important characteristic is the ability to load any drug or complex molecule uncommitted to its hydrophobic or hydrophilic character. Selecting lipid components, ratios and thermo-sensitivity is critical to achieve a suitable nano-liposomal formulation. Nano-liposomal surfaces can be tailored to interact successfully with target cells, avoiding undesirable associations with plasma proteins and enhancing their half-life in the bloodstream. Macropinocytosis-dynamin-independent, cell-membrane-cholesterol-dependent processes, clathrin, and caveolae-independent mechanisms are involved in liposome internalization and trafficking within target cells to deliver the loaded drugs to modulate cell function. A successful translation from animal studies to clinical trials is still an important challenge surrounding the approval of new nano-liposomal drugs that have been the focus of investigations. Precision medicine based on the design of functionalized nano-delivery systems bearing highly specific molecules to drive therapies is a promising strategy to treat degenerative diseases.

Bovine Serum Albumin Conjugation in Superparamagnetic/Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanoparticles as an Alternative for Magnetic Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays

Nanomaterials, such as magnetic nanoparticles have attracted significant attention of medical area due to their capacity to improve the performance of immunoassays. Therefore the aim of this work was to study the bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugation in superparamagnetic (MNPs)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles with further characterization and application in enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. The successful conjugation of BSA in MNPs- PMMA nanoparticles was confirmed by several techniques, including light scattering, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Lowry protein quantification assay. The superparamagnetic properties were confirmed by vibrating sample magnetometer. BSA conjugated MNPs-PMMA nanoparticles presented higher interactions with antibody than free BSA. The BSA + MNPs-PMMA nanoparticles (magnetic ELISA assay) reduced the time and increased the sensibility of traditional ELISA assay, reinforcing the idea that the use these nanomaterials are an excellent alternative for the immunoassays field.

Nanohybrids as Protein-Polymer Conjugate Multimodal Therapeutics

Protein therapeutic formulations are being widely explored as multifunctional nanotherapeutics. Challenges in ensuring susceptibility and efficacy of nanoformulation still prevail owing to various interactions with biological fluids before reaching the target site. Smart polymers with the capability of masking drugs, ease of chemical modification, and multi-stimuli responsiveness can assist controlled delivery. An active moiety like therapeutic protein has started to be known as an important biological formulation with a diverse medicinal prospect. The delivery of proteins and peptides with high target specificity has however been tedious, due to their tendency to aggregate formation in different environmental conditions. Proteins due to high chemical reactivity and poor bioavailability are being researched widely in the field of nanomedicine. Clinically, multiple nano-based formulations have been explored for delivering protein with different carrier systems. A biocompatible and non-toxic polymer-based delivery system serves to tailor the polymer or drug better. Polymers not only aid delivery to the target site but are also responsible for proper stearic orientation of proteins thus protecting them from internal hindrances. Polymers have been shown to conjugate with proteins through covalent linkage rendering stability and enhancing therapeutic efficacy prominently when dealing with the systemic route. Here, we present the recent developments in polymer-protein/drug-linked systems. We aim to address questions by assessing the properties of the conjugate system and optimized delivery approaches. Since thorough characterization is the key aspect for technology to enter into the market, correlating laboratory research with commercially available formulations will also be presented in this review. By examining characteristics including morphology, surface properties, and functionalization, we will expand different hybrid applications from a biomaterial stance applied in in vivo complex biological conditions. Further, we explore understanding related to design criteria and strategies for polymer-protein smart nanomedicines with their potential prophylactic theranostic applications. Overall, we intend to highlight protein-drug delivery through multifunctional smart polymers.

Advancement of nanoscience in development of conjugated drugs for enhanced disease prevention

Nanoscience and nanotechnology is a recently emerging and rapid developing field of science and has also been explored in the fields of Biotechnology and Medicine. Nanoparticles are being used as tools for diagnostic purposes and as a medium for the delivery of therapeutic agents to the specific targeted sites under controlled conditions. The physicochemical properties of these nanoparticles give them the ability to treat various chronic human diseases by site specific drug delivery and to use in diagnosis, biosensing and bioimaging devices, and implants. According to the type of materials used nanoparticles can be classified as organic (micelles, liposomes, nanogels and dendrimers) and inorganic (including gold nanoparticles (GNPs), super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanomaterials (SPIONs), quantum dots (QDs), and paramagnetic lanthanide ions). Different types of nanoparticle are being used in conjugation with various types of biomoities (such as peptide, lipids, antibodies, nucleotides, plasmids, ligands and polysaccharides) to form nanoparticle-drug conjugates which has enhanced capacity of drug delivery at targeted sites and hence improved disease treatment and diagnosis. In this study, the summary of various types of nanoparticle-drug conjugates that are being used along with their mechanism and applications are included. In addition, the various nanoparticle-drug conjugates which are being used and which are under clinical studies along with their future opportunities and challenges are also discussed in this review.

Well Defined Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)-Fe3O4/Poly(Vinyl Pivalate) Core-Shell Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles: Design and Evaluation of In Vitro Cytotoxicity Activity Against Cancer Cells

The objective of this work is to develop and characterize polymeric nanoparticles with core-shell morphology through miniemulsion polymerization combined with seeded emulsion polymerization, aiming at the application in the treatment of vascular tumors via intravascular embolization. The synthesis of the core-shell nanocomposites was divided into two main steps: (i) Formation of the core structure, consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate)/magnetic oxide coated with oleic acid (OM-OA) via miniemulsion and (ii) shell structure produced through seeded emulsion polymerization of vinyl pivalate. Nanocomposites containing about 8 wt.% of OM-OA showed high colloidal stability, mean diameter of 216.8 nm, spherical morphology, saturation magnetization (Ms) of 4.65 emu·g-1 (57.41 emu·g-1 of Fe3O4), preserved superparamagnetic behavior and glass transition temperature (Tg) of 111.8 °C. TEM micrographs confirmed the obtaining of uniformly dispersed magnetic nanoparticles in the PMMA and that the core-shell structure was obtained by seeded emulsion with Ms of 1.35 emu·g-1 (56.25 emu·g-1 of Fe3O4) and Tg of 114.7 °C. In vitro cytotoxicity assays against murine tumor of melanoma (B16F10) and human Keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell lines were carried out showing that the core-shell magnetic polymeric materials (a core, consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate)/Fe3O4 and, a shell, formed by poly(vinyl pivalate)) presented high cell viabilities for both murine melanoma tumor cell lines, B16F10, and human keratinocyte cells, HaCaT.