Recent advances in mechanical force-responsive drug delivery systems

Biocompatible gelatin-coated ferrite nanoparticles: A magnetic approach to advanced drug delivery

Nanotechnology has transformed drug delivery, offering opportunities to enhance treatment outcomes while minimizing adverse effects. This study focuses on gelatin-coated cobalt and manganese ferrite nanoparticles for potential drug delivery applications. The synthesis involved a co-precipitation method, and the nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Results revealed stable structures, distinct chemical features introduced by gelatin coating, and unique magnetic properties. The hemolysis assay demonstrated reduced hemolytic activity with gelatin coating, enhancing biocompatibility. Drug release studies indicated differential release profiles, with gelatin-coated cobalt ferrite exhibiting higher drug release compared to gelatin-coated manganese ferrite. The Higuchi model supported diffusion-controlled drug release for gelatin-coated cobalt ferrite. These findings suggest the potential of gelatin-coated ferrite nanoparticles for controlled and targeted drug delivery, highlighting their significance in advancing nanomedicine.

Effect of dual modifications with ultrasonication and succinylation on Cicer arietinum protein-iron complexes: Characterization, digestibility, in-vitro cellular mineral uptake and preparation of fortified smoothie

The research aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasonication and succinylation on the functional, iron binding, physiochemical, and cellular mineral uptake efficacy of chickpea protein concentrate. Succinylation resulted in significant improvements in the water-holding capacity (WHC) (25.47 %), oil-holding capacity (OHC) (31.38 %), and solubility (5.80 %) of the chickpea protein-iron complex. Mineral bioavailability significantly increased by 4.41 %, and there was a significant increase in cellular mineral uptake (64.64 %), retention (36.68 %), and transport (27.96 %). The ferritin content of the succinylated chickpea protein-iron complex showed a substantial increase of 66.31%. Furthermore, the dual modification approach combining ultrasonication and succinylation reduced the particle size of the protein-iron complex with a substantial reduction of 83.25 %. It also resulted in a significant enhancement of 51.5 % in the SH (sulfhydryl) content and 48.92 % in the surface hydrophobicity. Mineral bioavailability and cellular mineral uptake, retention, and transport were further enhanced through dual modification. In terms of application, the addition of single and dual-modified chickpea protein-iron complex to a fruit-based smoothie demonstrated positive acceptance in sensory attributes. Overall, the combined approach of succinylation and ultrasonication to the chickpea protein-iron complex shows a promising strategy for enhancing the physiochemical and techno-functional characteristics, cellular mineral uptake, and the development of vegan food products.

The Evolution of Sonochemistry: From the Beginnings to Novel Applications

Sonochemistry is the use of ultrasonic waves in an aqueous medium, to generate acoustic cavitation. In this context, sonochemistry emerged as a focal point over the past few decades, starting as a manageable process such as a cleaning technique. Now, it is found in a wide range of applications across various chemical, physical, and biological processes, creating opportunities for analysis between these processes. Sonochemistry is a powerful and eco-friendly technique often called "green chemistry" for less energy use, toxic reagents, and residues generation. It is increasing the number of applications achieved through the ultrasonic irradiation (USI) method. Sonochemistry has been established as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative compared to traditional industrial methods. It promotes scientific and social well-being, offering non-destructive advantages, including rapid processes, improved process efficiency, enhanced product quality, and, in some cases, the retention of key product characteristics. This versatile technology has significantly contributed to the food industry, materials technology, environmental remediation, and biological research. This review is created with enthusiasm and focus on shedding light on the manifold applications of sonochemistry. It delves into this technique's evolution and current applications in cleaning, environmental remediation, microfluidic, biological, and medical fields. The purpose is to show the physicochemical effects and characteristics of acoustic cavitation in different processes across various fields and to demonstrate the extending application reach of sonochemistry. Also to provide insights into the prospects of this versatile technique and demonstrating that sonochemistry is an adapting system able to generate more efficient products or processes.

Advancing piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery systems and therapeutic approaches

Precision drug delivery and multimodal synergistic therapy are crucial in treating diverse ailments, such as cancer, tissue damage, and degenerative diseases. Electrodes that emit electric pulses have proven effective in enhancing molecule release and permeability in drug delivery systems. Moreover, the physiological electrical microenvironment plays a vital role in regulating biological functions and triggering action potentials in neural and muscular tissues. Due to their unique noncentrosymmetric structures, many 2D materials exhibit outstanding piezoelectric performance, generating positive and negative charges under mechanical forces. This ability facilitates precise drug targeting and ensures high stimulus responsiveness, thereby controlling cellular destinies. Additionally, the abundant active sites within piezoelectric 2D materials facilitate efficient catalysis through piezochemical coupling, offering multimodal synergistic therapeutic strategies. However, the full potential of piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials in drug delivery system design remains underexplored due to research gaps. In this context, the current applications of piezoelectric 2D materials in disease management are summarized in this review, and the development of drug delivery systems influenced by these materials is forecast.

Fluorinated GlycoNucleoLipid-based hydrogels as new spatiotemporal stimulable DDS

Achieving a controlled release of several active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) remains a challenge for improving their therapeutic effects and reduced their side effects. In the current work, stimulable Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) based on supramolecular hydrogels were designed by combining two APIs featuring anticancer activities, namely the doxorubicin and phenazine 14. In vitro studies revealed promising physicochemical properties for all the investigated API loaded gels. Fluorinated GlycoNucleoLipid (GNF) based supramolecular gels remain stable in the presence of either doxorubicin (Doxo) or phenazine 14 (Phe) as anticancer drugs. Noteworthy, the stiffness of the GNF-based supramolecular gels was enhanced in the presence of both APIs while maintaining their thixotropic properties. We demonstrated that the storage modulus (G') of the GNF gels was increased from 1.3 kPa to 9.3 kPa upon loading of both APIs within the same gels. With a low mechanical stimulation (within the LVR), a passive diffusion out of gels was observed for Dox whereas Phe remained trapped in the GNF gels over several hours. Also, in this work we showed that mechanical stress triggered the release of both Phe and Doxo at different rates.

Polymersome Membrane Engineering with Active Targeting or Controlled Permeability for Responsive Drug Delivery

Polymersomes have been extensively investigated for drug delivery as nanocarriers for two decades due to a series of advantages including high stability under physiological conditions, simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs inside inner cavities and membranes, respectively, and facile adjustment of membrane and surface properties, as well as controlled drug release through incorporation of stimuli-responsive components. Despite these features, polymersome nanocarriers frequently suffer from nontargeting delivery and poor membrane permeability. In recent years, polymersomes have been functionalized for more efficient drug delivery. The surface shells were explored to be modified with diverse active targeting groups to improve disease-targeting delivery. The membrane permeability of the polymersomes was adjusted by incorporation of the stimuli-responsive components for smart controlled transportation of the encapsulated drugs. Therefore, being the polymersome-biointerface, tailorable properties can be introduced by its carefully modulated engineering. This review elaborates on the role of polymersome membranes as a platform to incorporate versatile features. First, we discuss how surface functionalization facilitates the directional journey to the targeting sites toward specific diseases, cells, or intracellular organelles via active targeting. Moreover, recent advances in the past decade related to membrane permeability to control drug release are also summarized. We finally discuss future development to promote polymersomes as in vivo drug delivery nanocarriers.

Smart enzyme catalysts capable of self-separation by sensing the reaction extent

A smart biocatalyst should dissolve homogeneously for catalysis and recover spontaneously at the end of the reaction. In this study, we present a strategy for preparing self-precipitating enzyme catalysts by exploiting reaction-induced pH decreases, which connect the reaction extent to the catalyst aggregation state. Using poly(methacrylic acid)-functionalized gold nanoparticles as carriers, we construct smart catalysts with three model systems, including the glucose oxidase (GOx)-catalase (CAT) cascade, the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) cascade, and a combination of two lipases. All smart catalysts can self-separate with a nearly 100% recovery efficiency when a certain conversion threshold is reached. The threshold can be adjusted depending on the reaction demand and buffer capacity. By monitoring the optical signals caused by the dissolution/precipitation of smart catalysts, we propose a prototypic automation system that may enable unsupervised batch/fed-batch bioprocessing.

Remote Positioning of Spherical Alginate Ferrogels in a Fluid Flow by a Magnetic Field: Experimental and Computer Simulation

This work belongs to the development of mechanical force-responsive drug delivery systems based on remote stimulation by an external magnetic field at the first stage, assisting the positioning of a ferrogel-based targeted delivery platform in a fluid flow. Magnetically active biopolymer beads were considered a prototype implant for the needs of replacement therapy and regenerative medicine. Spherical calcium alginate ferrogels (FGs)~2.4 mm in diameter, filled with a 12.6% weight fraction of magnetite particles of 200-300 nm in diameter, were synthesized. A detailed characterization of the physicochemical and magnetic properties of FGs was carried out, as were direct measurements of the field dependence of the attractive force for FG-beads. The hydrodynamic effects of the positioning of FG-beads in a fluid flow by a magnetic field were studied experimentally in a model vessel with a fluid stream. Experimental results were compared with the results of mathematical and computer modeling, showing reasonable agreement. The contributions of the hydrodynamic and magnetic forces acting on the FG-bead in a fluid flow were discussed. Obtained forces for a single ferrogel implant were as high as 0 to 10-4 N for the external field range of 0 to 35 kA/m, perfectly in the range of mechanical force stimuli in biological systems.

Mechanoresponsive Drug Release from a Flexible, Tissue-Adherent, Hybrid Hydrogel Actuator

Soft robotic technologies for therapeutic biomedical applications require conformal and atraumatic tissue coupling that is amenable to dynamic loading for effective drug delivery or tissue stimulation. This intimate and sustained contact offers vast therapeutic opportunities for localized drug release. Herein, a new class of hybrid hydrogel actuator (HHA) that facilitates enhanced drug delivery is introduced. The multi-material soft actuator can elicit a tunable mechanoresponsive release of charged drug from its alginate/acrylamide hydrogel layer with temporal control. Dosing control parameters include actuation magnitude, frequency, and duration. The actuator can safely adhere to tissue via a flexible, drug-permeable adhesive bond that can withstand dynamic device actuation. Conformal adhesion of the hybrid hydrogel actuator to tissue leads to improved mechanoresponsive spatial delivery of the drug. Future integration of this hybrid hydrogel actuator with other soft robotic assistive technologies can enable a synergistic, multi-pronged treatment approach for the treatment of disease.

Recent advances in magnetic nanocarriers for tumor treatment

Magnetic nanocarriers are nano-platforms that integrate multiple moieties based on magnetic nanoparticles for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In recent years, they have become an advanced platform for tumor treatment due to their wide application in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biocatalysis, magneto-thermal therapy (MHT), and photoresponsive therapy. Drugs loaded into magnetic nanocarriers can efficiently be directed to targeted areas by precisely reshaping their structural properties. Magnetic nanocarriers allow us to track the location of the therapeutic agent, continuously control the therapeutic process and eventually assess the efficacy of the treatment. They are typically used in synergistic therapeutic applications to achieve precise and effective tumor treatment. Here we review their latest applications in tumor treatment, including stimuli-responsive drug delivery, MHT, photoresponsive therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and synergistic therapy. We consider reducing toxicity, improving antitumor efficacy, and the targeting accuracy of magnetic nanocarriers. The challenges of their clinical translation and prospects in cancer therapy are also discussed.

Design of Reservoirs Enabling Stress-Induced Sequential Release Systems

Mechanical stress is recognized as a principle for opening enclosed compartments through compression, stretching, or shear, eventually resulting in the onset of a diffusion-controlled release. Here, we hypothesized that the geometrical design of cavities (cut-outs) introduced as containers in elastic polymer substrates and sealed with a brittle coating layer would enable a pre-defined release of different compounds by stress concentration phenomena. Design criteria such as cut-out shapes, orientations, and depths were initially assessed for suitably different stress concentrations in computational models. In substrates fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane by photolithographic techniques, the local strains at horizontal rectangular, circular, and vertical rhombus-shaped cut-outs systematically increased under horizontal stretching as proposed. When filled with model compounds and coated with poly(n-butyl cyanoacrylate), a pre-defined induced breakage of the coating and compound release was confirmed upon continuous uniaxial stretching. This proof of concept demonstrates how device design and functions interlink and may motivate further exploration in technology and medicine for deformation-induced on-demand dosage applications.