Cation-π interactions drive hydrophobic self-assembly and aggregation of niclosamide in water

P-Sulfonatocalix[4]arene turns peptide aggregates into an efficient cell-penetrating peptide

A novel cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) called FAM-Y4R4, with FAM as a fluorescent probe, was developed. Initially, we aimed to use Y4 as a supramolecular host for water-insoluble drugs, with R4 driving the complex into cells. However, an unexpected hurdle was discovered; the peptide self-assembled into amorphous aggregates, rendering it ineffective for our intended purpose. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that intermolecular cation-π interactions between arginine and tyrosine caused this aggregation. By decorating the R4 sidechains with p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene (CX4), we successfully dissolved most of the aggregates, significantly improved the peptide's solubility and enhanced the cell uptake with MCF7 and A549 cells via both direct penetration and endocytosis. The binding strength between CX4 and R4, as well as the interaction between curcumin and tyrosines was quantified. Encouragingly, our results showed that FAM-Y4R4, with CX4, effectively delivered curcumin - as a model for poorly water-soluble drugs - into cells which exhibited potent anticancer activity. Using R4/CX4 instead of the conventional R7-9 oligoarginine-based CPP simplifies peptide synthesis and offers higher yields. CX4 shows promise for addressing aggregation issues in other peptides that undergo a similar aggregation mechanism.

The Next Generation COVID-19 Antiviral; Niclosamide-Based Inorganic Nanohybrid System Kills SARS-CoV-2

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious global threat with surging new variants of concern. Although global vaccinations have slowed the pandemic, their longevity is still unknown. Therefore, new orally administrable antiviral agents are highly demanded. Among various repurposed drugs, niclosamide (NIC) is the most potential one for various viral diseases such as COVID-19, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (middle east respiratory syndrome), influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), etc. Since NIC cannot be effectively absorbed, a required plasma concentration for antiviral potency is hard to maintain, thereby restricting its entry into the infected cells. Such a 60-year-old bioavailability challenging issue has been overcome by engineering with MgO and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), forming hydrophilic NIC-MgO-HPMC, with improved intestinal permeability without altering NIC metabolism as confirmed by parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. The inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2  replication is confirmed in the Syrian hamster model to reduce lung injury. Clinical studies reveal that the bioavailability of NIC hybrid drug can go 4 times higher than the intact NIC. The phase II clinical trial shows a dose-dependent bioavailability of NIC from hybrid drug  suggesting its potential applicability as a game changer in achieving the much-anticipated endemic phase.

Niclosamide: A career builder

My contribution to honoring Professor Kinam Park celebrates and resonates with his scholarly career in drug delivery, his commitment to encouraging the next generation(s), and his efforts to keep us focused on clinically effective formulations. To do this I take as my example, niclosamide, a small molecule protonophore that, uniquely, can "target" all cell membranes, both plasma and organelle. As such, it acts upstream of many cell pathways and so has the potential to affect many of the essential events that a cell, and particularly a diseased cell or other entities like a virus, use to stay alive and prosper. Literature shows that it has so far been discovered to positively influence (at least): cancer, bacterial and viral infection, metabolic diseases such as Type II diabetes, NASH and NAFLD, artery constriction, endometriosis, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease, systemic sclerosis, Parkinson's, and COPD. With such a fundamental action and broad-spectrum activity, I believe that studying niclosamide in all its manifestations, discovering if and to what extent it can contribute positively to disease control (and also where it can't), formulating it as effective therapeutics, and testing them in preclinical and clinical trials is a career builder for our next generation(s). The article is divided into two parts: Part I introduces niclosamide and other proton shunts mainly in cancer and viral infections and reviews an exponentially growing literature with some concepts and physicochemical properties that lead to its proton shunt mechanism. Part II focuses on repurposing by reformulation of niclosamide. I give two examples of "carrier-free formulations", - one for cancer (as a prodrug therapeutic of niclosamide stearate for i.v. and other administration routes, exemplified by our recent work on Osteosarcoma in mice and canine patients), and the other as a niclosamide solution formulation (that could provide the basis for a preventative nasal spray and early treatment option for COVID19 and other respiratory virus infections). My goal is to excite and enthuse, encourage, and motivate all involved in the drug development and testing process in academia, institutes, and industry, to learn more about this interesting molecule and others like it. To enable such endeavors, I give many proposed ideas throughout the document, that have been stimulated and inspired by gaps in the literature, urgent needs in disease, and new studies arising from our own work. The hope is that, by reading through this document and studying the suggested topics and references, the drug delivery and development community will continue our lineage and benefit from our legacy to achieve niclosamide's potential as an effective contributor to the treatment and control of many diseases and conditions.

Oral Delivery of Niclosamide as an Amorphous Solid Dispersion That Generates Amorphous Nanoparticles during Dissolution

Niclosamide is an FDA-approved anthelmintic that is being studied in clinical trials as a chemotherapeutic and broad-spectrum antiviral. Additionally, several other applications are currently in the preclinical stage. Unfortunately, niclosamide is a poorly water soluble molecule, with reduced oral bioavailability, which hinders its use for new indications. Moreover, niclosamide is a poor glass former; in other words, the molecule has a high tendency to recrystallize, and it is virtually impossible to generate a stable amorphous solid employing the neat molecule. Previously, our group reported the development of an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) of niclosamide (niclosamide ASD) that generates nanoparticles during its dissolution, not only increasing niclosamide's apparent solubility from 6.6 ± 0.4 to 481.7 ± 22.2 µg/mL in fasted state simulated intestinal fluid (FaSSIF) but also its oral bioavailability 2.6-fold in Sprague-Dawley rats after being administered as a suspension. Nevertheless, niclosamide ASD undergoes recrystallization in acidic media, and an enteric oral dosage form is needed for its translation into the clinic. In this work, we further characterized the nanoparticles that generated during the dissolution of the niclosamide ASD. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) revealed that the nanoparticles were amorphous and had a particle size of ~150 nm. The oral dosage forms of niclosamide ASD were formulated using commercial enteric capsules (Capsuline^® and Eudracap^TM) and as enteric-coated tablets. The enteric dosage forms were tested using pH-shift dissolution and acid-uptake tests, using the USP type II dissolution apparatus and the disintegration apparatus, respectively. The capsules exhibited a higher percentage of weight gain, and visual rupture of the Capsuline capsules was observed. Eudracap capsules protected the formulation from the acidic media, but polymer gelling and the formation of a nondispersible plug were noted during dissolution testing. In contrast, enteric-coated tablets protected the formulation from acid ingress and maintained the performance of niclosamide ASD granules during dissolution in FaSSIF media. These enteric-coated tablets were administered to beagle dogs at a niclosamide dose of 75 mg/kg, resulting in plasma concentrations of niclosamide higher than those reported in the literature using solubilized niclosamide at a higher dose (i.e., 100 mg/kg). In summary, an enteric oral dosage form of niclosamide ASD was formulated without hindering the generation of nanoparticles while maintaining the increase in the niclosamide's apparent solubility. The enteric-coated tablets successfully increased the niclosamide plasma levels in dogs when compared to a niclosamide solution prepared using organic solvents.

Diclofenac Ion Hydration: Experimental and Theoretical Search for Anion Pairs

Self-assembly of organic ions in aqueous solutions is a hot topic at the present time, and substances that are well-soluble in water are usually studied. In this work, aqueous solutions of sodium diclofenac are investigated, which, like most medicinal compounds, is poorly soluble in water. Classical MD modeling of an aqueous solution of diclofenac sodium showed equilibrium between the hydrated anion and the hydrated dimer of the diclofenac anion. The assignment and interpretation of the bands in the UV, NIR, and IR spectra are based on DFT calculations in the discrete-continuum approximation. It has been shown that the combined use of spectroscopic methods in various frequency ranges with classical MD simulations and DFT calculations provides valuable information on the association processes of medical compounds in aqueous solutions. Additionally, such a combined application of experimental and calculation methods allowed us to put forward a hypothesis about the mechanism of the effect of diclofenac sodium in high dilutions on a solution of diclofenac sodium.