Lactone Stabilized by Crosslinked Cyclodextrin Metal-Organic Frameworks to Improve Local Bioavailability of Topotecan in Lung Cancer

Mechanism of Action of Dihydroquercetin in the Prevention and Therapy of Experimental Liver Injury

Liver disease is a global health problem that affects the well-being of tens of thousands of people. Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) is a flavonoid compound derived from various plants. Furthermore, DHQ has shown excellent activity in the prevention and treatment of liver injury, such as the inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation after administration, the normalization of oxidative indices (like SOD, GSH) in this tissue, and the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory molecules (such as IL-6 and TNF-α). DHQ also exerts its therapeutic effects by affecting molecular pathways such as NF-κB and Nrf2. This paper discusses the latest research progress of DHQ in the treatment of various liver diseases (including viral liver injury, drug liver injury, alcoholic liver injury, non-alcoholic liver injury, fatty liver injury, and immune liver injury). It explores how to optimize the application of DHQ to improve its effectiveness in treating liver diseases, which is valuable for preparing potential therapeutic drugs for human liver diseases in conjunction with DHQ.

Controlled release of vitamin A palmitate from crosslinked cyclodextrin organic framework for dry eye disease therapy

Controlled release drug delivery systems of eye drops are a promising ophthalmic therapy with advantages of good patient compliance and low irritation. However, the lack of a suitable drug carrier for ophthalmic use limits the development of the aforementioned system. Herein, the crosslinked cyclodextrin organic framework (COF) with a cubic porous structure and a uniform particle size was synthesized and applied to solidify vitamin A palmitate (VAP) by using the solvent-free method. The VAP@COF suspension eye drops were formulated by screening co-solvents, suspending agents, and stabilizing agents to achieve a homogeneous state and improve stability. According to the in vitro release study, the VAP@COF suspension exhibited a controlled release of VAP within 12 h. Both the ex vivo corneal contact angle and in vivo fluorescence tracking indicated that the VAP@COF suspension prolonged the VAP residence time on the ocular surface. This suspension accelerated the recovery of the dry eye disease (DED) model in New Zealand rabbits. Furthermore, the suspension was non-cytotoxic to human corneal epithelial cells and non-irritation to rabbit eyes. In summary, the particulate COF is an eye-acceptable novel carrier that sustains release and prolongs the VAP residence time on the ocular surface for DED treatment.

γ-Cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks as the promising carrier for pulmonary delivery of cyclosporine A

γ-Cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) are considered as a green and biocompatible material with great potential in drug delivery systems. Original CD-MOFs show the poor aerosol properties, which limit the application in pulmonary drug delivery. To improve the in vitro deposition properties, herein, we synthesized CD-MOFs by the vapor diffusion method using a series of modulators to achieve better pulmonary delivery of cyclosporine A (CsA). The results showed that blank CD-MOFs and drug loaded CD-MOFs prepared with different modulators all preserved the cubical shape, and exhibited the similar crystal form, structural characteristics, thermal behaviors and release properties. In addition, drug loaded CD-MOFs prepared with polyethylene glycol 10000 (PEG 10000) as a modulator exhibited better in vitro aerosol performance than those of synthesized using other modulators, and the in vivo pharmacokinetics data demonstrated that the bioavailability of CsA could be significantly enhanced by inhalation administration of drug loaded CD-MOFs compared with oral administration of Neoral®. The repeated dose inhalation toxicity also confirmed the fine biocompatibility of CD-MOFs as the carrier for pulmonary drug delivery. Therefore, the results demonstrated CD-MOFs as the promising carrier could be used for pulmonary drug delivery.

Improved Cytotoxicity and Induced Apoptosis in HeLa Cells by Co-loading Vitamin E Succinate and Curcumin in Nano-MIL-88B-NH2

One of the strategies for improved therapeutic effects in cancer therapy is combination chemotherapy. In this study, a flexible nano-MOF (Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 ) was synthesized in a sonochemical process, then co-loaded with α-tocopheryl succinate (TOS) and curcumin (CCM). The anticancer activity of co-loaded Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 (Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 /TOS@CCM) against the HeLa cells was compared with that of the single-loaded counterpart (Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 @CCM). MTT analysis indicates improved cytotoxicity of Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 /TOS@CCM. The data from the cell apoptosis assay indicated more apoptosis in the case of the co-loaded nano-MOF. This study indicates the positive effect of the presence of TOS on enhancing the anticancer effect of Fe-MIL-88B-NH2 @CCM to prepare a more efficient drug delivery nanosystem.

Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes for Improved Drug Bioavailability and Activity: Synthetic and Analytical Aspects

Many active pharmaceutical ingredients show low oral bioavailability due to factors such as poor solubility and physical and chemical instability. The formation of inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins, as well as cyclodextrin-based polymers, nanosponges, and nanofibers, is a valuable tool to improve the oral bioavailability of many drugs. The microencapsulation process modifies key properties of the included drugs including volatility, dissolution rate, bioavailability, and bioactivity. In this context, we present relevant examples of the stabilization of labile drugs through the encapsulation in cyclodextrins. The formation of inclusion complexes with drugs belonging to class IV in the biopharmaceutical classification system as an effective solution to increase their bioavailability is also discussed. The stabilization and improvement in nutraceuticals used as food supplements, which often have low intestinal absorption due to their poor solubility, is also considered. Cyclodextrin-based nanofibers, which are polymer-free and can be generated using environmentally friendly technologies, lead to dramatic bioavailability enhancements. The synthesis of chemically modified cyclodextrins, polymers, and nanosponges based on cyclodextrins is discussed. Analytical techniques that allow the characterization and verification of the formation of true inclusion complexes are also considered, taking into account the differences in the procedures for the formation of inclusion complexes in solution and in the solid state.