Lysozyme and DNase I loaded poly (D, L lactide-co-caprolactone) nanocapsules as an oral delivery system

How Biodegradable Polymers Can be Effective Drug Delivery Systems for Cannabinoids? Prospectives and Challenges

Cannabinoids are compounds found in and derived from the Cannabis plants that have become increasingly recognised as significant modulating factors of physiological mechanisms and inflammatory reactions of the organism, thus inevitably affecting maintenance of homeostasis. Medical Cannabis popularity has surged since its legal regulation growing around the world. Numerous promising discoveries bring more data on cannabinoids' pharmacological characteristics and therapeutic applications. Given the current surge in interest in the medical use of cannabinoids, there is an urgent need for an effective method of their administration. Surpassing low bioavailability, low water solubility, and instability became an important milestone in the advancement of cannabinoids in pharmaceutical applications. The numerous uses of cannabinoids in clinical practice remain restricted by limited administration alternatives, but there is hope when biodegradable polymers are taken into account. The primary objective of this review is to highlight the wide range of indications for which cannabinoids may be used, as well as the polymeric carriers that enhance their effectiveness. The current review described a wide range of therapeutic applications of cannabinoids, including pain management, neurological and sleep disorders, anxiety, and cancer treatment. The use of these compounds was further examined in the area of dermatology and cosmetology. Finally, with the use of biodegradable polymer-based drug delivery systems (DDSs), it was demonstrated that cannabinoids can be delivered specifically to the intended site while also improving the drug's physicochemical properties, emphasizing their utility. Nevertheless, additional clinical trials on novel cannabinoids' formulations are required, as their full spectrum therapeutical potential is yet to be unravelled.

Artificial Cells: Past, Present and Future

Artificial cells are constructed to imitate natural cells and allow researchers to explore biological process and the origin of life. The construction methods for artificial cells, through both top-down or bottom-up approaches, have achieved great progress over the past decades. Here we present a comprehensive overview on the development of artificial cells and their properties and applications. Artificial cells are derived from lipids, polymers, lipid/polymer hybrids, natural cell membranes, colloidosome, metal-organic frameworks and coacervates. They can be endowed with various functions through the incorporation of proteins and genes on the cell surface or encapsulated inside of the cells. These modulations determine the properties of artificial cells, including producing energy, cell growth, morphology change, division, transmembrane transport, environmental response, motility and chemotaxis. Multiple applications of these artificial cells are discussed here with a focus on therapeutic applications. Artificial cells are used as carriers for materials and information exchange and have been shown to function as targeted delivery systems of personalized drugs. Additionally, artificial cells can function to substitute for cells with impaired function. Enzyme therapy and immunotherapy using artificial cells have been an intense focus of research. Finally, prospects of future development of cell-mimic properties and broader applications are highlighted.

Polymer nano-systems for the encapsulation and delivery of active biomacromolecular therapeutic agents

Biomacromolecular therapeutic agents, particularly proteins, antigens, enzymes, and nucleic acids are emerging as powerful candidates for the treatment of various diseases and the development of the recent vaccine based on mRNA highlights the enormous potential of this class of drugs for future medical applications. However, biomacromolecular therapeutic agents present an enormous delivery challenge compared to traditional small molecules due to both a high molecular weight and a sensitive structure. Hence, the translation of their inherent pharmaceutical capacity into functional therapies is often hindered by the limited performance of conventional delivery vehicles. Polymer drug delivery systems are a modular solution able to address those issues. In this review, we discuss recent developments in the design of polymer delivery systems specifically tailored to the delivery challenges of biomacromolecular therapeutic agents. In the future, only in combination with a multifaceted and highly tunable delivery system, biomacromolecular therapeutic agents will realize their promising potential for the treatment of diseases and for the future of human health.

Application of Non-Viral Vectors in Drug Delivery and Gene Therapy

Vectors and carriers play an indispensable role in gene therapy and drug delivery. Non-viral vectors are widely developed and applied in clinical practice due to their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, easy synthesis and modification, and low cost of production. This review summarized a variety of non-viral vectors and carriers including polymers, liposomes, gold nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes from the aspects of physicochemical characteristics, synthesis methods, functional modifications, and research applications. Notably, non-viral vectors can enhance the absorption of cargos, prolong the circulation time, improve therapeutic effects, and provide targeted delivery. Additional studies focused on recent innovation of novel synthesis techniques for vector materials. We also elaborated on the problems and future research directions in the development of non-viral vectors, which provided a theoretical basis for their broad applications.

Gene therapy avenues and COVID-19 vaccines

2020 has witnessed unprecedented situations due to coronavirus pandemic that affected all aspects of life. The whole globe lived months of uncertainty before two companies have announced the incredible results of phase III clinical trials for two different mRNA-based vaccines.

Lyophilization-free proliposomes for sustained release oral delivery of hydrophobic drug (cinnarazine): a comparative study

Objectives

Cinnarizine is used for the treatment of vestibular disorders. However, its poor solubility limits its clinical uses due to many challenges. Liposomes were utilised to improve the release profile of many poorly soluble drugs. However, liposomes face many stability challenges during the storage period. This study aims to develop proliposomes designed for the oral delivery of cinnarizine with enhanced stability characteristics.

Methods

Three cinnarizine entrapping Proliposomal formulations were prepared with different ingredients and compared with their liposomal counterparts. Both vesicular approaches were characterised for their particle size, encapsulation efficiency, drug release and stability.

Results

The proliposomes were superior to liposomes in their stability and release profiles. Although no significant changes were noticed between the encapsulation efficiency percentage of the liposomal and proliposomal formulations on the day of preparation, storing the formulations for two weeks ended up with significant leakage of the drug from liposomes (p < 0.05) due to stability issues, but not in proliposomes. Moreover, the proliposomes released 100% of cinnarizine throughout the dissolution experiment in gastric fluid in comparison with the total released drug of 70% from the liposomes.

Conclusions

Proliposomes provided a successful approach to deliver lipophilic drugs orally to improve their pharmacokinetic properties by converting their crystalline nature into more amorphous agents.

PEGylated polymeric nanocapsules for oral delivery of trypsin targeted to the small intestines

The lack of trypsin in the intestines may end up with malnutrition; thus, trypsin replacement therapy is required in such cases. The main objective of this study is to formulate and evaluate polymeric nanocapsule (PNC) systems able to deliver trypsin to the small intestines with the minimal release in the stomach with the maximum biological activity. Four nanocapsule formulations were prepared by double emulsion/evaporation method as w/o/w and s/o/w. Particle size, encapsulation efficiencies, drug release in simulated gastric fluids (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluids (SIF), morphology, the biological activity of encapsulated trypsin and shelf-life stability were investigated for all formulations. All formulations had a spherical shape with submicron size, and encapsulation efficiency more than 80%. The biological activity of encapsulated trypsin was significantly affected by the amount of trehalose and whether the formulations were prepared as s/o/w or w/o/w (P < 0.05). Most of the encapsulated protein was released sustainedly at the target site (SIF) over 24 h with minimum amount release in the gastric fluids. Also, more than 90% of physical integrity trypsin encapsulated in all formulations was retained after storage under chilled conditions for six months. However, the enzymatic assay results show that with low trehalose content, the biological activity was low, while increasing the trehalose amount increased the shelf stability to reach around 100% after six months of the study. The results obtained in this research work clearly indicated a promising potential of controlled release polymeric nanocapsules containing trypsin to target the small intestine and protect trypsin from the harsh condition facing the proteins during the process of preparation or the period of storage.