Expression of human insulin gene wrapped with chitosan nanoparticles in NIH3T3 cells and diabetic rats

The histone methyltransferase SMYD1 is induced by thermogenic stimuli in adipose tissue

Aim: To study the expression of histone methyltransferase SMYD1 in white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue and during differentiation of preadipocytes to white and beige phenotypes. Methods: C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet (and exposed to cold) and 3T3-L1 cells stimulated to differentiate into white and beige adipocytes were used. Results: SMYD1 expression increased in WAT of high-fat diet fed mice and in WAT and brown adipose tissue of cold-exposed mice, suggesting its role in thermogenesis. SMYD1 expression was higher in beige adipocytes than in white adipocytes, and its silencing leads to a decrease in mitochondrial content and in Pgc-1α expression. Conclusion: These data suggest a novel role for SMYD1 as a positive regulator of energy control in adipose tissue.

The impact of chemical engineering and technological advances on managing diabetes: present and future concepts

Monitoring blood glucose levels for diabetic patients is critical to achieve tight glycaemic control. As none of the current antidiabetic treatments restore lost functional β-cell mass in diabetic patients, insulin injections and the use of insulin pumps are most widely used in the management of glycaemia. The use of advanced and intelligent chemical engineering, together with the incorporation of micro- and nanotechnological-based processes have lately revolutionized diabetic management. The start of this concept goes back to 1974 with the description of an electrode that repeatedly measures the level of blood glucose and triggers insulin release from an infusion pump to enter the blood stream from a small reservoir upon need. Next to the insulin pumps, other drug delivery routes, including nasal, transdermal and buccal, are currently investigated. These processes necessitate competences from chemists, engineers-alike and innovative views of pharmacologists and diabetologists. Engineered micro and nanostructures hold a unique potential when it comes to drug delivery applications required for the treatment of diabetic patients. As the technical aspects of chemistry, biology and informatics on medicine are expanding fast, time has come to step back and to evaluate the impact of technology-driven chemistry on diabetics and how the bridges from research laboratories to market products are established. In this review, the large variety of therapeutic approaches proposed in the last five years for diabetic patients are discussed in an applied context. A survey of the state of the art of closed-loop insulin delivery strategies in response to blood glucose level fluctuation is provided together with insights into the emerging key technologies for diagnosis and drug development. Chemical engineering strategies centered on preserving and regenerating functional pancreatic β-cell mass are evoked in addition as they represent a permanent solution for diabetic patients.

Efficacy of insulin targeted gene therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent studies

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major worldwide public health challenge, for which gene therapy offers a potential therapeutic approach. To date, no systematic review or meta-analysis has been published in this area, so we examined all relevant published studies on rodents to elucidate the overall effects of gene therapy on bodyweight, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), fasting blood glucose, and insulin in animals with type 1 DM. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for potentially relevant studies. Mean±standard deviation (SD) was pooled using a random-effects model. After the primary search, out of 528 studies identified, 16 studies were in concordance with predefined criteria and selected for the final assessment. Of these, 12 studies used viral manipulation, and 4 employed non-viral vectors for gene delivery. The meta-analysis showed gene therapy with a viral vector decreased mean IPGTT (-12.69 mmol/l, P<0.001), fasting blood glucose (-13.51 mmol/l, P<0.001), insulin (398.28 pmol/l, P<0.001), and bodyweight (24.22 g, P<0.001), whereas non-viral vectors reduced fasting glucose (-29.95 mmol/l, P<0.001) and elevated insulin (114.92 pmol/l, P<0.001). Gene therapy has favorable effects on alleviating type 1 DM related factors in diabetic rodents.

Tissue targeted nanocapsids for oral insulin delivery via drink

For the past eight decades, subcutaneous injection has been the main route used for supplementing the suboptimal insulin secretion for administering insulin as a treatment for diabetes mellitus. Although this method is effective, subcutaneous injections are painful, inconvenient and carry a high risk of infections leading to poor patient compliance. The insulin-encapsulated hepatitis E virus nanoparticle, composed of the noninfectious hepatitis E viral capsid, is expected to deliver insulin from the GI tract to the liver after ingestion. Hepatitis E virus nanoparticle could be the answer to the long search of effective and efficient means to administer insulin orally and the most preferred route of drug delivery with highest patient compliance.

Development and characterization of nanoparticles for the delivery of gemcitabine hydrochloride

Gemcitabine (2,2-difluorodeoxycytidine) is a deoxycytidine analog, currently being used as a first-choice drug in pancreatic metastatic cancer. Gemcitabine is administered weekly as 30-minute infusion with starting dose ranging from 800 to 1250 mg/m(2). The aim of the present work was to develop starch nanoparticles (NPs) for the delivery of gemcitabine hydrochloride that could reduce its dose related side effects and may prolong its retention time (24 hrs) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Nanoparticles were prepared by emulsification diffusion method with slight modifications. Size and morphology of nanoparticles were investigated. Particles were spherical in shape with slightly rough surfaces. Particle size and polydispersity index were 231.4 nm and 1.0, respectively while zeta potential of blank NPs and drug loaded NPs were found to be -11.8 mV and -9.55 mV, respectively. Percent entrapment efficiency of different formulations was around ∼ 54% to 65%. In vitro release profile studies showed that around 70%-83% of drug was released from different formulations. Anticancerous cell line studies were also performed in human pancreatic cell lines (MIA-PA-CA-2).

Availability of polymeric nanoparticles for specific enhanced and targeted drug delivery

Over the past 20–30 years there has been quite a number of studies interested in polymeric nanoparticle (PNP) systems as a pharmaceutical approach for poorly soluble drugs, peptide drugs, gene and antibodies. Now, the products based on the PNP technologies are used in the fields of medical science, pharmaceutical science, tissue engineering and clothing, food and housing. This review focuses attention on PNPs for specific enhanced and targeted drug delivery of therapeutic drugs including peptide drugs as well as drug delivery applications of such systems. Outcomes from recent studies on polymers, how to make PNPs, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PNPs, and the release profiles from PNPs and related systems are also described, including their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, if available. In addition, the latest PNP trends and will be described.

Oral gene application using chitosan-DNA nanoparticles induces transferable tolerance

Oral tolerance is a promising approach to induce unresponsiveness to various antigens. The development of tolerogenic vaccines could be exploited in modulating the immune response in autoimmune disease and allograft rejection. In this study, we investigated a nonviral gene transfer strategy for inducing oral tolerance via antigen-encoding chitosan-DNA nanoparticles (NP). Oral application of ovalbumin (OVA)-encoding chitosan-DNA NP (OVA-NP) suppressed the OVA-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response and anti-OVA antibody formation, as well as spleen cell proliferation following OVA stimulation. Cytokine expression patterns following OVA stimulation in vitro showed a shift from a Th1 toward a Th2/Th3 response. The OVA-NP-induced tolerance was transferable from donor to naïve recipient mice via adoptive spleen cell transfer and was mediated by CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells. These findings indicate that nonviral oral gene transfer can induce regulatory T cells for antigen-specific immune modulation.

Preparation of albumin nanospheres loaded with gemcitabine and their cytotoxicity against BXPC-3 cells in vitro

AIM

To optimize formulation methods for loading gemcitabine (GEM), the main drug against pancreatic cancer, into albumin nanoparticles for extended blood circulation and improved efficacy.

METHODS

GEM was loaded into two sizes of disolvation-crosslinked bovine serum albumin nanoparticles, with a mean diameter of 109.7 nm and 405.6 nm, respectively, by co-precipitation (the direct method) and follow-up adsorption (the indirect method). The antitumor activities of the two nanoparticulate formulations, were evaluated according to their anti-proliferative effects on the human pancreatic cell line BXPC-3, which were assessed using the MTT assay.

RESULTS

The two nanoparticulate formulations, created by direct co-precipitation and indirect adsorption, possessed smooth surfaces and high drug loading efficiencies, 83% and 93% at 11% and 13% drug loading, respectively. The two formulations released GEM for 8 and 12 h, respectively, and significantly improved anti-BXPC-3 proliferation effects, as compared with the GEM solution and the drug-free albumin particles.

CONCLUSION

Co-precipitating and adsorbing GEM into albumin particles resulted in sustained-release nanoparticulate formulations with improved antitumor cytotoxicity. The result suggests that this is a useful formulation strategy for improving the antitumor efficacy of GEM.