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Fonseca M, Jarak I, Victor F, Domingues C, Veiga F, Figueiras A. Polymersomes as the Next Attractive Generation of Drug Delivery Systems: Definition, Synthesis and Applications. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:319. [PMID: 38255485 PMCID: PMC10817611 DOI: 10.3390/ma17020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Polymersomes are artificial nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly process of amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks. They can encapsulate hydrophilic molecules in the aqueous core and hydrophobic molecules within the membrane. The composition of block copolymers can be tuned, enabling control of characteristics and properties of formed polymersomes and, thus, their application in areas such as drug delivery, diagnostics, or bioimaging. The preparation methods of polymersomes can also impact their characteristics and the preservation of the encapsulated drugs. Many methods have been described, including direct hydration, thin film hydration, electroporation, the pH-switch method, solvent shift method, single and double emulsion method, flash nanoprecipitation, and microfluidic synthesis. Considering polymersome structure and composition, there are several types of polymersomes including theranostic polymersomes, polymersomes decorated with targeting ligands for selective delivery, stimuli-responsive polymersomes, or porous polymersomes with multiple promising applications. Due to the shortcomings related to the stability, efficacy, and safety of some therapeutics in the human body, polymersomes as drug delivery systems have been good candidates to improve the quality of therapies against a wide range of diseases, including cancer. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy can be improved by using polymersomes to deliver the drugs, protecting and directing them to the exact site of action. Moreover, this approach is also promising for targeted delivery of biologics since they represent a class of drugs with poor stability and high susceptibility to in vivo clearance. However, the lack of a well-defined regulatory plan for polymersome formulations has hampered their follow-up to clinical trials and subsequent market entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Fonseca
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
| | - Ivana Jarak
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Francis Victor
- Department of Pharmacy, University Chenab Gujarat, Punjab 50700, Pakistan;
| | - Cátia Domingues
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Univ. Coimbra, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Veiga
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Figueiras
- Univ. Coimbra, Laboratory of Drug Development and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (M.F.); (I.J.); (C.D.); (F.V.)
- Univ. Coimbra, REQUIMTE/LAQV, Group of Pharmaceutical Technology, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Nascimento NS, Torres-Obreque KM, Oliveira CA, Rabelo J, Baby AR, Long PF, Young AR, Rangel-Yagui CDO. Enzymes for dermatological use. Exp Dermatol 2024; 33:e15008. [PMID: 38284197 DOI: 10.1111/exd.15008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Skin is the ultimate barrier between body and environment and prevents water loss and penetration of pathogens and toxins. Internal and external stressors, such as ultraviolet radiation (UVR), can damage skin integrity and lead to disorders. Therefore, skin health and skin ageing are important concerns and increased research from cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors aims to improve skin conditions and provide new anti-ageing treatments. Biomolecules, compared to low molecular weight drugs and cosmetic ingredients, can offer high levels of specificity. Topically applied enzymes have been investigated to treat the adverse effects of sunlight, pollution and other external agents. Enzymes, with a diverse range of targets, present potential for dermatological use such as antioxidant enzymes, proteases and repairing enzymes. In this review, we discuss enzymes for dermatological applications and the challenges associated in this growing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Santos Nascimento
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karin Mariana Torres-Obreque
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Areias Oliveira
- Laboratory of Analytical Validation and Development, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jheniffer Rabelo
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Rolim Baby
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paul F Long
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Antony R Young
- St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carlota de Oliveira Rangel-Yagui
- Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
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Muso-Cachumba JJ, Feng S, Belaid M, Zhang Y, de Oliveira Rangel-Yagui C, Vllasaliu D. Polymersomes for protein drug delivery across intestinal mucosa. Int J Pharm 2023; 648:123613. [PMID: 37977286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The oral administration is the route preferred by patients due to its multiple advantages. In the case of biopharmaceuticals, due to their low stability and absorption in the intestine, these molecules must be administered by injectable routes. To circumvent these problems, several strategies have been studied, among which the use of nanosystems, such as polymersomes, can be highlighted. In this work the potential of poloxamer 401 polymersomes as a system for oral delivery of antibodies was evaluated. IgG-FITC-loaded poloxamer 401 polymerosomes were initially used to assess whether it improves intestinal epithelial permeation in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Subsequently, epithelial/macrophage co-culture model was used to evaluate the ability of poloxamer 401 polymersomes containing adalimumab to reduce proinflammatory cytokine levels. The data showed that polymersome-encapsulated IgG increased the transport across intestinal Caco-2 monolayers 2.7-fold compared to the antibody in solution. Also, when comparing the groups of blank polymersomes with polymersomes containing adalimumab, decreases of 1.5-, 5.5-, and 2.4-fold in TNF-α concentrations were observed for the polymersomes containing 1.5, 3.75, and 15 µg/mL of adalimumab, respectively. This could indicate a possibility for the oral administration of biopharmaceuticals which would revolutionize many conditions that require the systemic administration such as in inflammatory bowel disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Javier Muso-Cachumba
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK; Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Tecnologia Bioquímico-Farmacêutica, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sa Feng
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Mona Belaid
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Yunyue Zhang
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Carlota de Oliveira Rangel-Yagui
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK; Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Tecnologia Bioquímico-Farmacêutica, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Driton Vllasaliu
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
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Nanocarriers as Active Ingredients Enhancers in the Cosmetic Industry-The European and North America Regulation Challenges. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27051669. [PMID: 35268769 PMCID: PMC8911847 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
“Flawless skin is the most universally desired human feature” is an iconic statement by Desmond Morris. Skin indicates one´s health and is so important that it affects a person’s emotional and psychological behavior, these facts having propelled the development of the cosmetics industry. It is estimated that in 2023, this industry will achieve more than 800 billion dollars. This boost is due to the development of new cosmetic formulations based on nanotechnology. Nanocarriers have been able to solve problems related to active ingredients regarding their solubility, poor stability, and release. Even though nanocarriers have evident benefits, they also present some problems related to the high cost, low shelf life, and toxicity. Regulation and legislation are two controversial topics regarding the use of nanotechnology in the field of cosmetics. In this area, the U.S. FDA has taken the lead and recommended several biosafety studies and post-market safety evaluations. The lack of a global definition that identifies nanomaterials as a cosmetic ingredient is a hindrance to the development of global legislation. In the EU, the legislation regarding the biosafety of nanomaterials in cosmetics is stricter. “The cost is not the only important issue, safety and the application of alternative testing methods for toxicity are of crucial importance as well”.
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