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Ficiarà E, Molinar C, Gazzin S, Jayanti S, Argenziano M, Nasi L, Casoli F, Albertini F, Ansari SA, Marcantoni A, Tomagra G, Carabelli V, Guiot C, D’Agata F, Cavalli R. Developing Iron Nanochelating Agents: Preliminary Investigation of Effectiveness and Safety for Central Nervous System Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:729. [PMID: 38255803 PMCID: PMC10815234 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020729] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive iron levels are believed to contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders by promoting oxidative stress and harmful protein clustering. Novel chelation treatments that can effectively remove excess iron while minimizing negative effects on the nervous system are being explored. This study focuses on the creation and evaluation of innovative nanobubble (NB) formulations, shelled with various polymers such as glycol-chitosan (GC) and glycol-chitosan conjugated with deferoxamine (DFO), to enhance their ability to bind iron. Various methods were used to evaluate their physical and chemical properties, chelation capacity in diverse iron solutions and impact on reactive oxygen species (ROS). Notably, the GC-DFO NBs demonstrated the ability to decrease amyloid-β protein misfolding caused by iron. To assess potential toxicity, in vitro cytotoxicity testing was conducted using organotypic brain cultures from the substantia nigra, revealing no adverse effects at appropriate concentrations. Additionally, the impact of NBs on spontaneous electrical signaling in hippocampal neurons was examined. Our findings suggest a novel nanochelation approach utilizing DFO-conjugated NBs for the removal of excess iron in cerebral regions, potentially preventing neurotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Ficiarà
- School of Pharmacy, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Chiara Molinar
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Silvia Gazzin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato-Onlus, Bldg. Q, AREA Science Park, ss14, Km 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (S.J.)
| | - Sri Jayanti
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato-Onlus, Bldg. Q, AREA Science Park, ss14, Km 163.5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (S.G.); (S.J.)
| | - Monica Argenziano
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Lucia Nasi
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM) CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (L.N.); (F.C.); (F.A.)
| | - Francesca Casoli
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM) CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (L.N.); (F.C.); (F.A.)
| | - Franca Albertini
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM) CNR, Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (L.N.); (F.C.); (F.A.)
| | - Shoeb Anwar Ansari
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (S.A.A.); (C.G.)
| | - Andrea Marcantoni
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Giulia Tomagra
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Valentina Carabelli
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Caterina Guiot
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (S.A.A.); (C.G.)
| | - Federico D’Agata
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy; (S.A.A.); (C.G.)
| | - Roberta Cavalli
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; (C.M.); (M.A.); (A.M.); (G.T.); (V.C.); (R.C.)
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Jones G, Zeng L, Kim J. Application of Allometric Scaling to Nanochelator Pharmacokinetics. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:27256-27263. [PMID: 37546686 PMCID: PMC10399172 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Deferoxamine (DFO) is an effective FDA-approved iron chelator; however, its use is considerably limited by off-target toxicities and an extremely cumbersome dose regimen involving daily infusions. The recent development of a deferoxamine-based nanochelator (DFO-NP) with selective renal excretion has shown promise in ameliorating iron overload and associated physiological complications in rodent models with a substantially improved safety profile. While the dose- and administration route-dependent pharmacokinetics (PK) of DFO-NPs have been recently characterized, the optimized PK model was not validated, and the prior studies did not directly address the clinical translatability of DFO-NPs into humans. In the present work, these gaps were addressed by applying allometric scaling of DFO-NP PK in rats to predict those in mice and humans. First, this approach predicted serum concentration-time profiles of DFO-NPs, which were similar to those experimentally measured in mice, validating the nonlinear disposition and absorption models for DFO-NPs across the species. Subsequently, we explored the utility of allometric scaling by predicting the PK profile of DFO-NPs in humans under clinically relevant dosing schemes. These in silico efforts demonstrated that the novel nanochelator is expected to improve the PK of DFO when compared to standard infusion regimens of native DFO. Moreover, reasonable formulation strategies were identified and discussed for both early clinical development and more sophisticated formulation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Jones
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lingxue Zeng
- Department
of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Jonghan Kim
- Department
of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
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