Controllable release of pirfenidone by polyvinyl alcohol film embedded soft contact lenses in vitro and in vivo

Pirfenidone: A Promising Drug in Ocular Therapeutics

Pirfenidone, initially indicated for lung fibrosis, has gone beyond its original purpose, and shown promise in eye care. This detailed review tracks its evolution from lung treatment to aiding eye healing as evidenced by published literature. Pirfenidone's multifaceted attributes extend to mitigating corneal fibrosis, inflammation, and trauma. Through rigorous investigations, its efficacy emerges in diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and postoperative glaucoma interventions. As an unheralded protagonist, pirfenidone reshapes ocular care paradigms, inviting renewed research opportunities.

Controlled growth of titanium dioxide nanotubes for doxorubicin loading and studies of in vitro antitumor activity

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) materials are suitable for use as drug carriers due to their natural biocompatibility and nontoxicity. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to investigate the controlled growth of TiO₂ nanotubes (TiO₂ NTs) of different sizes via an anodization method, in order to delineate whether the size of NTs governs their drug loading and release profile as well as their antitumor efficiency. TiO₂ NTs were tailored to sizes ranging from 25 nm to 200 nm according to the anodization voltage employed. The TiO₂ NTs obtained by this process were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering The larger TiO₂ NTs exhibited greatly improved doxorubicin (DOX)-loading capacity (up to 37.5 wt%), which contributed to their outstanding cell-killing ability, as evidenced by their lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Comparisons were carried out of cellular uptake and intracellular release rates of DOX for large and small TiO₂ NTs loaded with DOX. The results showed that the larger TiO₂ NTs represent a promising therapeutic carrier for drug loading and controlled release, which could improve cancer treatment outcomes. Therefore, TiO₂ NTs of larger size are useful substances with drug-loading potency that may be used in a wide range of medical applications.

A review of current advancements for wound healing: Biomaterial applications and medical devices

Wound healing is a complex process that is critical in restoring the skin's barrier function. This process can be interrupted by numerous diseases resulting in chronic wounds that represent a major medical burden. Such wounds fail to follow the stages of healing and are often complicated by a pro‐inflammatory milieu attributed to increased proteinases, hypoxia, and bacterial accumulation. The comprehensive treatment of chronic wounds is still regarded as a significant unmet medical need due to the complex symptoms caused by the metabolic disorder of the wound microenvironment. As a result, several advanced medical devices, such as wound dressings, wearable wound monitors, negative pressure wound therapy devices, and surgical sutures, have been developed to correct the chronic wound environment and achieve skin tissue regeneration. Most medical devices encompass a wide range of products containing natural (e.g., chitosan, keratin, casein, collagen, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and silk fibroin) and synthetic (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, poly[lactic‐co‐glycolic acid], polycaprolactone, polylactic acid) polymers, as well as bioactive molecules (e.g., chemical drugs, silver, growth factors, stem cells, and plant compounds). This review addresses these medical devices with a focus on biomaterials and applications, aiming to deliver a critical theoretical reference for further research on chronic wound healing.

Local Delivery of Pirfenidone by PLA Implants Modifies Foreign Body Reaction and Prevents Fibrosis

Peri-implant fibrosis (PIF) increases the postsurgical risks after implantation and limits the efficacy of the implantable drug delivery systems (IDDS). Pirfenidone (PF) is an oral anti-fibrotic drug with a short (<3 h) circulation half-life and strong adverse side effects. In the current study, disk-shaped IDDS prototype combining polylactic acid (PLA) and PF, PLA@PF, with prolonged (~3 days) PF release (in vitro) was prepared. The effects of the PLA@PF implants on PIF were examined in the rabbit ear skin pocket model on postoperative days (POD) 30 and 60. Matching blank PLA implants (PLA⁰) and PLA⁰ with an equivalent single-dose PF injection performed on POD0 (PLA⁰+injPF) served as control. On POD30, the intergroup differences were observed in α-SMA, iNOS and arginase-1 expressions in PLA@PF and PLA⁰+injPF groups vs. PLA⁰. On POD60, PIF was significantly reduced in PLA@PF group. The peri-implant tissue thickness decreased (532 ± 98 μm vs. >1100 μm in control groups) approaching the intact derma thickness value (302 ± 15 μm). In PLA@PF group, the implant biodegradation developed faster, while arginase-1 expression was suppressed in comparison with other groups. This study proves the feasibility of the local control of fibrotic response on implants via modulation of foreign body reaction with slowly biodegradable PF-loaded IDDS.