Advancement of Lipid-Based Nanocarriers and Combination Application with Physical Penetration Technique

Non-invasive evaluation of transdermal drug delivery using 3-D transient triplet differential (TTD) photoacoustic imaging

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) is less invasive and avoids first-pass metabolism, making it an attractive method for treating various diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. However, current methods for evaluating TDD systems lack in vivo descriptions of drug distribution in the skin. In this study, we demonstrate the capability of the Transient Triplet Differential (TTD) method, a non-invasive and background-free photoacoustic imaging technique, for accurately mapping drug distribution and evaluating different TDD systems. Our findings show that the TTD method can provide high sensitivity and specificity for targeted drug extraction and visualize 3D drug distribution in the skin. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed the potential of the TTD method in evaluating the clinical performance of TDD. It's predictable that the TTD method can be a reliable and non-invasive approach for evaluating TDD systems and offer valuable insights into TDD research and development.

Research progress of physical transdermal enhancement techniques in tumor therapy

The advancement and popularity of transdermal drug delivery (TDD) based on the physical transdermal enhancement technique (PTET) has opened a new paradigm for local tumor treatment. The drug can be directly delivered to the tumor site through the skin, thus avoiding the toxic side effects caused by the first-pass effect and achieving high patient compliance. Further development of PTETs has provided many options for antitumor drugs and laid the foundation for future applications of wearable closed-loop targeting drug delivery systems. In this highlight, the different types of PTETs and related mechanisms, and applications of PTET-related tumor detection and therapy are highlighted. According to their type and characteristics, PTETs are categorized as follows: (1) iontophoresis, (2) electroporation, (3) ultrasound, (4) thermal ablation, and (5) microneedles. PTET-related applications in the local treatment of tumors are categorized as follows: (1) melanoma, (2) breast tumor, (3) squamous cell carcinoma, (4) cervical tumor, and (5) others. The challenges and future prospects of existing PTETs are also discussed. This highlight will provide guidance for the design of PTET-based wearable closed-loop targeting drug delivery systems and personalized therapy for tumors.

Functional nano-systems for transdermal drug delivery and skin therapy

Transdermal drug delivery is one of the least intrusive and patient-friendly ways for therapeutic agent administration. Recently, functional nano-systems have been demonstrated as one of the most promising strategies to treat skin diseases by improving drug penetration across the skin barrier and achieving therapeutically effective drug concentrations in the target cutaneous tissues. Here, a brief review of functional nano-systems for promoting transdermal drug delivery is presented. The fundamentals of transdermal delivery, including skin biology and penetration routes, are introduced. The characteristics of functional nano-systems for facilitating transdermal drug delivery are elucidated. Moreover, the fabrication of various types of functional transdermal nano-systems is systematically presented. Multiple techniques for evaluating the transdermal capacities of nano-systems are illustrated. Finally, the advances in the applications of functional transdermal nano-systems for treating different skin diseases are summarized.

Pharmacokinetic Study of Triptolide Nanocarrier in Transdermal Drug Delivery System-Combination of Experiment and Mathematical Modeling

Compared with traditional oral and injection administration, the transdermal administration of traditional Chinese medicine has distinctive characteristics and advantages, which can avoid the "first pass effect" of the liver and the destruction of the gastrointestinal tract, maintain a stable blood concentration, and prolong drug action time. However, the basic theory and technology research in transdermal drug delivery are relatively limited at present, especially regarding research on new carriers of transdermal drug delivery and pharmacokinetic studies of the skin, which has become a bottleneck of transdermal drug delivery development. Triptolide is one of the main active components of Tripterygium wilfordii, which displays activities against mouse models of polycystic kidney disease and pancreatic cancer but its physical properties and severe toxicity limit its therapeutic potential. Due to the previously mentioned advantages of transdermal administration, in this study, we performed a detail analysis of the pharmacokinetics of a new transdermal triptolide delivery system. Triptolide nanoemulsion gels were prepared and served as new delivery systems, and the ex vivo characteristics were described. The metabolic characteristics of the different triptolide transdermal drug delivery formulations were investigated via skin-blood synchronous microdialysis combined with LC/MS. A multiscale modeling framework, molecular dynamics and finite element modeling were adopted to simulate the transport process of triptolide in the skin and to explore the pharmacokinetics and mathematical patterns. This study shows that the three-layer model can be used for transdermal drug delivery system drug diffusion research. Therefore, it is profitable for transdermal drug delivery system design and the optimization of the dosage form. Based on the drug concentration of the in vivo microdialysis measurement technology, the diffusion coefficient of drugs in the skin can be more accurately measured, and the numerical results can be verified. Therefore, the microdialysis technique combined with mathematical modeling provides a very good platform for the further study of transdermal delivery systems. This research will provide a new technology and method for the study of the pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine transdermal drug delivery. It has important theoretical and practical significance in clarifying the metabolic transformation of percutaneous drug absorption and screening for appropriate drugs and dosage forms of transdermal drug delivery.

Hydrophobically Modified Abelmoschus esculentus Polysaccharide Based Nanoparticles and Applications: A Review

Nanomaterials are indeed a nanoscale technology that deals with the creation, evaluation, fabrication, and utilization of systems at the nanometre scale by manipulating their size and shape. We consider natural polysaccharides such as promising polysaccharides, which are biodegradable, nontoxic, abundant, and inexpensive bio-polymeric precursors for preparing the materials of choice in various industries. The aim is to review different methods to produce hydrophobically modified Abelmoschus esculentus nanoparticles and study the evaluation processes of these nanoparticles as given in the literature. It proved the benefits of derivatives of gum by introducing different chemical groups. The chemical functionalization of gum mainly includes the esterification, etherification, and crosslinking reactions of the hydroxyl groups and contains a special fibre which takes sugar levels in the blood under control, providing a sugar quantity suitable for the bowels. Okra contains mucilage that helps remove poisonous chemicals and bad cholesterol, often overloads the liver. Recovering from psychological conditions, like depression, general weakness, and joint healthiness can be done with Okra. Someone additionally applied it for pulmonary inflammation, bowel irritation, and sore throat. Purgative properties okra possesses are beneficial for bowel purification. It is used to counteract the acids. Fibre okra contains a valuable nutrient for intestinal microorganisms and ensures proper intestine functionality. It also protects the mucosa of the digestive tract by covering them with an extra layer because of its alkaline nature. Nanotechnology has emerged as a critical component of pharmaceutics, with many applications in drug carriers of interest aimed at improving drug clinical outcomes such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, wound care management, atopic dermatitis, cosmeceutical, etc. Beneficial outcomes of this review are discussed briefly.

Nanomedicine-Based Delivery Strategies for Breast Cancer Treatment and Management

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women globally. It is caused by mutations in the estrogen/progesterone receptors and conventional treatment methods are commonly utilized. About 70–80 percent of individuals with the early-stage non-metastatic disease may be cured. Conventional treatment is far less than the optimal ratio, as demonstrated through the high mortality rate of women with this cancer. However, conventional treatment methods like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are not as effective as expected and lead to concerns about low bioavailability, low cellular uptake, emerging resistance, and adverse toxicities. A nanomedicine-based approach is a promising alternative for breast cancer treatment. The present era is witnessing rapid advancements in nanomedicine as a platform for investigating novel therapeutic applications and modern intelligent healthcare management strategies. This paper focuses on nanomedicine-based therapeutic interventions that are becoming more widely accepted for improving treatment effectiveness and reducing undesired side effects in breast cancer patients. By evaluating the state-of-the-art tools and taking the challenges involved into consideration, various aspects of the proposed nano-enabled therapeutic approaches have been discussed in this review.

Effective Penetration of a Liposomal Formulation of Bleomycin through Ex-Vivo Skin Explants from Two Different Species

Bleomycin is a chemotherapy agent that, when administered systemically, can cause severe pulmonary toxicity. Bleosome is a novel formulation of bleomycin encapsulated in ultra-deformable (UD) liposomes that may be applicable as a topical chemotherapy for diseases such as non-melanoma skin cancer. To date, the ability of Bleosome to effectively penetrate through the skin has not been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the ability of Bleosome to penetrate through ex vivo skin explants from dogs and horses. We visualized the penetration of UD liposomes through the skin by transmission electron microscopy. However, to effectively image the drug itself we fluorescently labeled bleomycin prior to encapsulation within liposomes and utilized multiphoton microscopy. We showed that UD liposomes do not penetrate beyond the stratum corneum, whereas bleomycin is released from UD liposomes and can penetrate to the deeper layers of the epidermis. This is the first study to show that Bleosome can effectively penetrate through the skin. We speculate that UD liposomes are penetration enhancers in that UD liposomes carry bleomycin through the outer skin to the stratum corneum and then release the drug, allowing diffusion into the deeper layers. Our results are comparative in dogs and horses and warrant further studies on the efficacy of Bleosome as topical treatment.

Lipid Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Advances in the Treatment of Skin Disorders

The multifunctional role of the human skin is well known. It acts as a sensory and immune organ that protects the human body from harmful environmental impacts such as chemical, mechanical, and physical threats, reduces UV radiation effects, prevents moisture loss, and helps thermoregulation. In this regard, skin disorders related to skin integrity require adequate treatment. Lipid nanoparticles (LN) are recognized as promising drug delivery systems (DDS) in treating skin disorders. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) together with nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) exhibit excellent tolerability as these are produced from physiological and biodegradable lipids. Moreover, LN applied to the skin can improve stability, drug targeting, occlusion, penetration enhancement, and increased skin hydration compared with other drug nanocarriers. Furthermore, the features of LN can be enhanced by inclusion in suitable bases such as creams, ointments, gels (i.e., hydrogel, emulgel, bigel), lotions, etc. This review focuses on recent developments in lipid nanoparticle systems and their application to treating skin diseases. We point out and consider the reasons for their creation, pay attention to their advantages and disadvantages, list the main production techniques for obtaining them, and examine the place assigned to them in solving the problems caused by skin disorders.

Stimuli-responsive and cellular targeted nanoplatforms for multimodal therapy of skin cancer

Interdisciplinary applications of nanopharmaceutical sciences have tremendous potential for enhancing pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of cancer therapy. The limitations of conventional therapeutic platforms used for skin cancer therapy have been largely overcome by the use of nanoplatforms. This review discusses various nanotechnological approaches experimented for the treatment of skin cancer. The review describes various polymeric, lipidic and inorganic nanoplatforms for efficient therapy of skin cancer. The stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms such as pH-responsive as well as temperature-responsive platforms have also been reviewed. Different strategies for potentiating the nanoparticles application for cancer therapy such as surface engineering, conjugation with drugs, stimulus-responsive and multimodal effect have also been discussed and compared with the available conventional treatments. Although, nanopharmaceuticals face challenges such as toxicity, cost and scale-up, efforts put-in to improve these drawbacks with continuous research would deliver exciting and promising results in coming days.

The effect of ethanol evaporation on the properties of inkjet produced liposomes

Background

Inkjet method has been used to produce nano-sized liposomes with a uniform size distribution. However, following the production of liposomes by inkjet method, the solvent residue in the product could have a significant effect on the properties of the final liposomes.

Objective

This research paper aimed to find a suitable method to remove ethanol content and to study its effect on the properties of the final liposomal suspension.

Method

Egg phosphatidylcholine and lidocaine were dissolved in ethanol; and inkjet method at 80 kHz was applied to produce uniform droplets, which were deposited in an aqueous solution to form liposomes. Dry nitrogen gas flow, air-drying, and rotary evaporator were tested to remove the ethanol content. Liposome properties such as size, polydispersity index (PDI), and charge were screened before and after ethanol evaporation.

Results

Only rotary evaporator (at constant speed and room temperature for 2 h) removed all of the ethanol content, with a final drug entrapment efficiency (EE) of 29.44 ± 6.77%. This was higher than a conventional method. Furthermore, removing ethanol led to liposome size reduction from approximately 200 nm to less than 100 nm in most samples. Additionally, this increased the liposomal net charge, which contributed to maintain the uniform and narrow size distribution of liposomes.

Conclusion

Nano-sized liposomes were produced with a narrow PDI and higher EE compared to a conventional method by using an inkjet method. Moreover, rotary evaporator for 2 h reduced effectively the ethanol content, while maintaining the narrow size distribution.

Development of Poly (Methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) Microneedles for Transdermal Delivery of Atorvastatin Calcium

AIMS

Biodegradable polymeric microneedles containing atorvastatin calcium were developed in order to improve the percutaneous absorption of the drug, useful for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND

The use of physical enhancers like microneedles have shown good results to increase the delivery of drugs through the skin, the use of microneedles has very important advantages for transdermal drug delivery, for example, they are painless, easy to use and safe, they increase time interval of drug activity, dose, and reductions in adverse reactions, they also offer, the facility to remove the system instantly of the skin.

OBJECTIVE

Develop polymer microneedles loaded with a calcium atorvastatin and evaluate them by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), bioadhesion, postwetting- bioadhesion, breaking strength, drug release test and in vitro percutaneous absorption studies to demonstrate the use of microneedles atorvastatin is able to cross the skin.

METHODS

The microneedles were made with poly (methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) as biodegradable polymer using the technique of casting in solution in a mold. After solidification these microneedles were characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), bioadhesion, post-wetting-bioadhesion, breaking strength, drug release test and in vitro percutaneous absorption studies.

RESULTS

In general, the performances were satisfactory for optimal formulation in terms of DSC with no interactions between drug and excipients, SEM shows microneedles with a conical shape, bioadhesion of 1570 g.f, post wetting-bioadhesion of 1503.4 g.f, breaking strength of 1566.7g.f that is sufficient to disrupt Stratum corneum, good drug release and a flux of 33.4 μg/cm2*h with a tLag of 15.14 h for the in vitro percutaneous absorption.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that it is possible to generate microneedles to increase the percutaneous absorption of calcium atorvastatin transdermally, with the potential to be used as an alternative to the oral route for the treatment of dyslipidemias.