Recent Advances in the Development of Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems

Innovative use of lipid mesophase dispersions for bisphenol A sequestration in water

HYPOTHESIS

Mesophase dispersions are promising colloids for removing micropollutants from water. We hypothesized that the complex internal nanostructure and tunable lipid/water interface amounts play a crucial role in absorbed quantities. Modifications in interfacial organization within the particles while trapping the micropollutant is assumed.

EXPERIMENTS

We formulated stable monolinolein-based dispersions with four types of mesophases (bicontinuous and micellar cubic, hexagonal, and fluid isotropic L2) by varying dodecane contents. The absorption of bisphenol A by these dispersions from water was monitored using molecular spectroscopy. At equilibrium, absorbed quantities by mesophase dispersions were compared to unstructured dodecane/water miniemulsions for two bisphenol concentrations. Structural changes during bisphenol incorporation were identified using small-angle X-ray scattering.

FINDINGS

Lipid mesophase particles of submicron size showed greater bisphenol incorporation than dodecane/water miniemulsions, with cubosomes being most effective ones, absorbing twice as much as unstructured emulsions. Higher absorption levels are observed for more complex nanostructures with increased lipid/dodecane ratios. The incorporation of bisphenol affected the curvature of internal interfaces, potentially causing phase transitions and indicating that bisphenol settles at interfaces. Similar absorption levels in identical mesophases suggest a strong correlation between nano-structure and absorbed quantities.

Colloidal Structure Dictates Antimicrobial Efficacy in LL-37 Self-Assemblies With Glycerol Monooleate

The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics to combat bacteria in suspension and biofilms. Its self-assembly with polar lipids is suggested to improve its potential for therapeutic applications with higher stability against degradation and bioavailability. This study investigates the self-assembly of LL-37 with glyceryl monooleate (GMO), establishing the link between colloidal structure and antimicrobial activity. Small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy show structural transformation from dispersions of inverse bicontinuous structure (cubosomes) to multilamellar vesicles and direct rod-like mixed-micelles upon increasing the content of LL-37 in GMO. In vitro assays against planktonic and biofilm cells demonstrate that 128 µg mL-1 of GMO cubosomes have no impact on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Still, the cubosomes reduce the Staphylococcus aureus planktonic population by ≈ 1-log after 24 h. Cylindrical micelles formed at LL-37/GMO 9/1 and 8/2 with 128 µg mL-1 LL-37 decrease the Pseudomonas aeruginosa population by 6-log. This activity is gradually abolished when LL-37 is encapsulated in vesicles or cubosomes. They also demonstrate low antibiofilm efficacy and promote the biomass of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. These results highlight the importance of colloidal structure for therapeutic outcomes, providing insights for advanced lipid nanocarrier designs.

Recent trends and therapeutic potential of phytoceutical-based nanoparticle delivery systems in mitigating non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally, with non-small cell lung cancer accounting for the majority (85%) of cases. Standard treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy present multiple adverse effects. Medicinal plants, used for centuries, are traditionally processed by methods such as boiling and oral ingestion, However, water solubility, absorption, and hepatic metabolism reduce phytoceutical bioavailability. More recently, isolated molecular compounds from these plants can be extracted with these phytoceuticals administered either individually or as an adjunct with standard therapy. Phytoceuticals have been shown to alleviate symptoms, may reduce dosage of chemotherapy and, in some cases, enhance pharmaceutical mechanisms. Research has identified many phytoceuticals' actions on cancer-associated pathways, such as oncogenesis, the tumour microenvironment, tumour cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis. The development of novel nanoparticle delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles, liquid crystalline nanoparticles, and liposomes has enhanced the bioavailability and targeted delivery of pharmaceuticals and phytoceuticals. This review explores the biological pathways associated with non-small cell lung cancer, a diverse range of phytoceuticals, the cancer pathways they act upon, and the pros and cons of several nanoparticle delivery systems.

Form Equals Function: Influence of Coacervate Architecture on Drug Delivery Applications

Complex coacervates, formed through electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged polymers, present a versatile platform for drug delivery, providing rapid assembly, selective encapsulation, and responsiveness to environmental stimuli. The architecture and properties of coacervates can be tuned by controlling structural and environmental design factors, which significantly impact the stability and delivery efficiency of the drugs. While environmental design factors such as salt, pH, and temperature play a crucial role in coacervate formation, structural design factors such as polymer concentration, polymer structure, mixing ratio, and chain length serve as the core framework that shapes coacervate architecture. These elements modulate the phase behavior and material properties of coacervates, allowing for a highly tunable system. In this review, we primarily analyze how these structural design factors contribute to the formation of diverse coacervate architecture, ranging from bulk coacervates to polyion complex micelles, vesicles, and cross-linked gels, though environmental design factors are considered. We then examine the effectiveness of these architectures in enhancing the delivery and efficacy of drugs across various administration routes, such as noninvasive (e.g., oral and transdermal) and invasive delivery. This review aims to provide foundational insights into the design of advanced drug delivery systems by examining how the origin and chemical structure of polymers influence coacervate architecture, which in turn defines their material properties. We then explore how the architecture can be tailored to optimize drug delivery for specific administration routes. This approach leverages the intrinsic properties derived from the coacervate architecture to enable targeted, controlled, and efficient drug release, ultimately enhancing therapeutic outcomes in precision medicine.

Fabrication of folic acid-conjugated pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione-encapsulated curdlan gum-PEGamine nanoparticles for folate receptor targeting breast cancer cells

In this study 5-((2-((3-methoxy benzylidene)-amino)-phenyl)-diazenyl)-4,6-diphenyl pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione was synthesized. The pharmacological applications of pyrimidine analogs are restricted due to their poor pharmacokinetic properties. As a solution, a microbial exopolysaccharide (curdlan gum) was used to synthesize folic acid-conjugated pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione-encapsulated curdlan gum-PEGamine nanoparticles (FA-Py-CG-PEGamine NPs). The results of physicochemical properties revealed that the fabricated FA-Py-CG-PEGamine NPs were between 100 and 400 nm in size with a majorly spherical shaped, crystalline nature, and the encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were 79.04 ± 0.79 %, and 8.12 ± 0.39 % respectively. The drug release rate was significantly higher at pH 5.4 (80.14 ± 0.79 %) compared to pH 7.2. The cytotoxic potential of FA-Py-CG-PEGamine NPs against MCF-7 cells potentially reduced the number of cells after 24 h with 42.27 μg × mL-1 as IC50 value. The higher intracellular accumulation of pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione in MCF-7 cells leads to apoptosis, observed by AO/EBr staining and flow cytometry analysis. The highest pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione internalization in MCF-7 cells may be due to folate conjugated on the surface of curdlan gum nanoparticles. Further, internalized pyrimidine-2(5H)-thione increases the intracellular ROS level, leading to apoptosis and inducing the decalin in mitochondrial membrane potential. These outcomes demonstrated that the FA-Py-CG-PEGamine NPs were specificity-targeting folate receptors on the plasma membranes of MCF-7 Cells.

Phospholipid Membranes as Chemically and Functionally Tunable Materials

The sheet-like lipid bilayer is the fundamental structural component of all cell membranes. Its building blocks are phospholipids and cholesterol. Their amphiphilic structure spontaneously leads to the formation of a bilayer in aqueous environment. Lipids are not just structural elements. Individual lipid species, the lipid membrane structure, and lipid dynamics influence and regulate membrane protein function. An exciting field is emerging where the membrane-associated material properties of different bilayer systems are used in designing innovative solutions for widespread applications across various fields, such as the food industry, cosmetics, nano- and biomedicine, drug storage and delivery, biotechnology, nano- and biosensors, and computing. Here, the authors summarize what is known about how lipids determine the properties and functions of biological membranes and how this has been or can be translated into innovative applications. Based on recent progress in the understanding of membrane structure, dynamics, and physical properties, a perspective is provided on how membrane-controlled regulation of protein functions can extend current applications and even offer new applications.

Novel Discoveries and Clinical Advancements for Treating Onychomycosis: A Mechanistic Insight

Onychomycosis continues to be the most challenging disease condition for pharmaceutical scientists to develop an effective drug delivery system. Treatment challenges lie in incomplete cure and high relapse rate. Present compilation provides cumulative information on pathophysiology, diagnostic techniques, and conventional treatment strategies to manage onychomycosis. Novel technologies developed for successful delivery of antifungal molecules are also discussed in brief. Multidirectional information offered by this article also unlocks the panoramic view of leading patented technologies and clinical trials. The obtained clinical landscape recommends the use of advanced technology driven approaches, as a promising way-out for treatment of onychomycosis. Collectively, present review warrants the application of novel technologies for the successful management of onychomycosis. This review will assist readers to envision a better understanding about the technologies available for combating onychomycosis. We also trust that these contributions address and certainly will encourage the design and development of nanocarriers-based delivery vehicles for effective management of onychomycosis.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases: Drug delivery and biomedical applications

Liquid crystal (LC)-based nanoformulations may efficiently deliver drugs and therapeutics to targeted biological sites. Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases (LLCPs) have received much interest in recent years due to their unique structural characteristics of both isotropic liquids and crystalline solids. These LLCPs can be utilized as promising drug delivery systems to deliver drugs, proteins, peptides and vaccines because of their improved drug loading, stabilization, and controlled drug release. The effects of molecule shape, microsegregation, and chirality are very important in the formation of liquid crystalline phases (LCPs). Homogenization of self-assembled amphiphilic lipids, water and stabilizers produces LLCPs with different types of mesophases, bicontinuous cubic (cubosomes) and inverse hexagonal (hexosomes). Moreover, many studies have also shown higher bioadhesivity and biocompatibility of LCs due to their structural resemblance to biological membranes, thus making them more efficient for targeted drug delivery. In this review, an outline of the engineering aspects of LLCPs and polymer-based LLCPs is summarized. Moreover, it covers parenteral, oral, transdermal delivery and medical imaging of LC in targeting various tissues and is discussed with a scope to design more efficient next-generation novel nanosystems. In addition, a detailed overview of advanced liquid crystal-based drug delivery for vaccines and biomedical applications is reviewed.