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Casalini T, Treacher K, Grant I, Marucci M. In Vitro Release from Polymeric Core/Shell Nanoparticles through the Lens of Multiscale Modeling. Mol Pharm 2024. [PMID: 38687999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The large number of studies involving nanoparticles for cancer therapy is due to their peculiar features: they protect loaded active molecules while extending circulation time and can extravasate from the blood flow to the tumor to deliver drugs directly in the target area. Mathematical modeling can provide a preliminary in silico exploration of design space to optimize an experimental activity that often relies on a trial-and-error approach. However, because of the characteristic size of these vectors (10-1000 nm), numerous phenomena of interest occur at different time and length scales, making a single modeling technique insufficient to fully characterize the system of interest. In this work we employed a multiscale modeling approach, which bridges the phenomena of interest across different scales, to study the in vitro release from polymeric core/shell nanoparticles for cancer therapy loaded with an active compound assembled as a hydrophobic ion pair. The "computational microscope" provided by molecular dynamics simulations was used to track drug molecules through the release process at an atomic scale. The outcomes suggested that the drug is mainly partitioned in the polymer and released as hydrophobic ion pair rather than a free molecule, and that the hydrophobic ion pair is preferentially partitioned in Tween 20 micelles in the release media. A model at macroscale, aimed at describing the release rate and elucidating the release mechanism, was developed according to the results from molecular simulations and validated against experimental data. The outcomes provided insights that are challenging to be obtained experimentally and which supported the development and validation of a release model at macroscale. Overall, the adopted multiscale approach corroborated the experimental findings and provided significant insights into the mechanisms of release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 11115 - 98499, Sweden
| | - Kevin Treacher
- New Modalities and Parenterals Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations & IT, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Iain Grant
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Mariagrazia Marucci
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 11115 - 98499, Sweden
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Evstafeva D, Ilievski F, Bao Y, Luo Z, Abramovic B, Kang S, Steuer C, Montanari E, Casalini T, Simicic D, Sessa D, Mitrea SO, Pierzchala K, Cudalbu C, Armbruster CE, Leroux JC. Inhibition of urease-mediated ammonia production by 2-octynohydroxamic acid in hepatic encephalopathy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2226. [PMID: 38472276 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46481-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy is a neuropsychiatric complication of liver disease which is partly associated with elevated ammonemia. Urea hydrolysis by urease-producing bacteria in the colon is often mentioned as one of the main routes of ammonia production in the body, yet research on treatments targeting bacterial ureases in hepatic encephalopathy is limited. Herein we report a hydroxamate-based urease inhibitor, 2-octynohydroxamic acid, exhibiting improved in vitro potency compared to hydroxamic acids that were previously investigated for hepatic encephalopathy. 2-octynohydroxamic acid shows low cytotoxic and mutagenic potential within a micromolar concentration range as well as reduces ammonemia in rodent models of liver disease. Furthermore, 2-octynohydroxamic acid treatment decreases cerebellar glutamine, a product of ammonia metabolism, in male bile duct ligated rats. A prototype colonic formulation enables reduced systemic exposure to 2-octynohydroxamic acid in male dogs. Overall, this work suggests that urease inhibitors delivered to the colon by means of colonic formulations represent a prospective approach for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Evstafeva
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Filip Ilievski
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yinyin Bao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zhi Luo
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Boris Abramovic
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sunghyun Kang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Steuer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elita Montanari
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dunja Simicic
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dario Sessa
- Swiss Pediatric Liver Center, Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefanita-Octavian Mitrea
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Pierzchala
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Cudalbu
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Animal Imaging and Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chelsie E Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Leroux
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Casalini T, Mann J, Pepin X. Predicting Surface pH in Unbuffered Conditions for Acids, Bases, and Their Salts - A Review of Modeling Approaches and Their Performance. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:513-534. [PMID: 38127789 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Dissolution of ionizable drugs and their salts is a function of drug surface solubility driven by the surface pH, i.e., the microenvironmental pH at the solid/liquid interface, which will deviate from bulk pH when there is an acid-base reaction occurring at the solid/liquid interface. In this work, we first present a brief overview of the modeling approaches available in the literature, classified according to the rate-determining step assumed in the dissolution process. In the second part, we present and evaluate the prediction performance of two different modeling approaches for surface pH. The first method relies only on thermodynamic equilibria, while the second method accounts for transport phenomena of charged compounds through the diffusional boundary layer using the Nernst - Planck equation. Model outcomes are compared with experimental data taken from the literature and obtained during this work. In terms of surface pH predictions, the models provide identical values for weak acids or weak bases. The models' outcomes for bases are in good agreement with experimental data in acidic conditions (bulk pH 1-4), while overpredictions are observed in the 5-7 bulk pH range in a system-dependent manner. Deviations can be related to the effect of surface dissolution (also referred to as surface reaction), which may become a controlling mechanism and slow the replenishment of the unionized drug at the surface of the crystal. Surface pH predictions for acids are generally in good agreement with experiments, with a slight underestimation for some drug examples, which could be related to errors in intrinsic solubility determination or to the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium at the surface of the drug. A good agreement is also observed for salts with the thermodynamic model except for mesylate salts, suggesting that other phenomena, not currently included in the thermodynamic equilibrium model, may determine the surface pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 431 50, Sweden
| | - James Mann
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, U.K
| | - Xavier Pepin
- New Modalities & Parenteral Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, U.K
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Molliet A, Doninelli S, Hong L, Tran B, Debas M, Salentinig S, Kilbinger AFM, Casalini T. Solvent Dependent Folding of an Amphiphilic Polyaramid. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:27830-27837. [PMID: 38084077 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
A series of synthetic alternating and amphiphilic aromatic amide polymers were synthesized by a step growth polymerization. Alternating meta- and para-linkages were introduced to force the polymer chain into a helical shape in the highly polar solvent water. The polymers were analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy and SEC in polar aprotic solvents such as DMSO and DMF. However, the polymers also showed good solubility in water. 1H NMR spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering provided clear evidence of polymer folding in water but not DMF. We employed parallel tempering metadynamics in the well-tempered ensemble (PTMetaD-WTE) to simulate the free energy surfaces of an analogous model polymer in DMF and water. The simulations gave a molecular model of an unfolded structure in DMF and a helically folded tubular structure in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Molliet
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Samantha Doninelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Linda Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bettina Tran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Meron Debas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Salentinig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Andreas F M Kilbinger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, Lugano 6962, Switzerland
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5
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Perale G, Gaudio E, Casalini T, Aresu L, De Corso AR, Spriano F, Tarantelli C, Stathis A, Castrovinci A, Bertoni F. Abstract 1879: A novel implantable device to in vivo assess anti-cancer agents. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: The high variability in clinical responses observed in cancer patients highlights the need of a tailored therapeutic approach. A possible modality is to assess drugs sensitivity directly in the patients, by introducing small drug delivering devices in tumor sites for a very short period and then looking at the local anti-tumor effect. Here, we present the design of an innovative drug eluting device and its test with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib as an example of small molecules.
Methods: Mathematical models considered factors related to drug (MW), physical properties, desired concentrations in surrounding tissue, polymers and tissue physical features to identify the optimal polymers and the drug loading for the desired release profile over 24h. In vitro proliferation was measured with the MTT assay, in vivo experiments done in NOD-SCID mice (license TI05/2021), and immunohistochemistry on FFPE xenograft sections stained for Ki67 and cleaved caspase 3 (CASP-3).
Results: Device was designed as an arrow-shaped cylinder, with flat end and flatter sections to be filled with the drug-eluting polymers. Prototypes were built in nylon6,6, a biocompatible but stable polymer. Ibrutinib was incorporated in low MW polyester poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) as biopolymer by solvent casting. Polymeric coating onto devices was done with a dedicated automatic device.Devices loaded with biopolymer and different concentrations of ibrutinib or “empty” biopolymers were first in vitro tested using diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines. Over 72h, devices with drug inhibited proliferation of the ibrutinib-sensitive TMD8 and OCI-Ly10 cell lines, but not of the ibrutinib-resistant SU-DHL-2 and U2932. No effect was seen with devices with ibrutinib-free biopolymers. Devices, empty or loaded with ibrutinib (5μg), were then inserted in xenografts of ibrutinib-sensitive cell line OCI-Ly10 and ibrutinib resistant U2932. After 24h, mice were sacrificed and xenografts analyzed. By Ki67 and CASP-3 a reduced cell proliferation and an increased apoptosis in the region surrounding the device was observed in the ibrutinib-sensitive xenografts, conversely nor reduced cell proliferation nor apoptosis induction were identified in the ibrutinib-resistant xenografts.
Conclusions: We have created a prototype of a device that can locally release drugs allowing the evaluation of anti-tumor activity, optimizing cures tailored to single patient. The system can be further developed to include multiple drugs, including e.g. antibodies.
Citation Format: Giuseppe Perale, Eugenio Gaudio, Tommaso Casalini, Luca Aresu, Anna Rita De Corso, Filippo Spriano, Chiara Tarantelli, Anastasios Stathis, Andrea Castrovinci, Francesco Bertoni. A novel implantable device to in vivo assess anti-cancer agents [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1879.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- 2Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- 3University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Luca Aresu
- 4Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Anna Rita De Corso
- 3University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Spriano
- 2Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Tarantelli
- 2Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Anastasios Stathis
- 5Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliere Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Castrovinci
- 3University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- 2Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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Sabia C, Casalini T, Cornolti L, Spaggiari M, Frigerio G, Martinoli L, Martinoli A, Buffo A, Marchisio DL, Barbato MC. A novel uncoupled quasi-3D Euler-Euler model to study the spiral jet mill micronization of pharmaceutical substances at process scale: model development and validation. POWDER TECHNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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7
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Li L, Casalini T, Arosio P, Salvalaglio M. Modeling the Structure and Interactions of Intrinsically Disordered Peptides with Multiple Replica, Metadynamics-Based Sampling Methods and Force-Field Combinations. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:1915-1928. [PMID: 35174713 PMCID: PMC9097291 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins play a key role in many biological processes, including the formation of biomolecular condensates within cells. A detailed characterization of their configurational ensemble and structure-function paradigm is crucial for understanding their biological activity and for exploiting them as building blocks in material sciences. In this work, we incorporate bias-exchange metadynamics and parallel-tempering well-tempered metadynamics with CHARMM36m and CHARMM22* to explore the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of a short archetypal disordered sequence derived from a DEAD-box protein. The conformational landscapes emerging from our simulations are largely congruent across methods and force fields. Nevertheless, differences in fine details emerge from varying combinations of force-fields and sampling methods. For this protein, our analysis identifies features that help to explain the low propensity of this sequence to undergo self-association in vitro, which are common to all force-field/sampling method combinations. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of using multiple force-field and sampling method combinations for accurate structural and thermodynamic information in the study of disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lunna Li
- Thomas
Young Centre and Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department
of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH
Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Arosio
- Department
of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH
Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Salvalaglio
- Thomas
Young Centre and Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
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Sabia C, Buffo A, Casalini T, Marchisio DL, Barbato MC, Storti G. FBR for Polyolefin Production in Gas Phase: Validation of a Two‐phase Compartmentalized Model by Comparison with CFD. MACROMOL REACT ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/mren.202100058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmine Sabia
- C. Sabia, Department of Innovative Technologies SUPSI Via la Santa 1 Lugano 6962 Switzerland
- C. Sabia, Department of Science and Technology Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 Torino 10129 Italy
| | - Antonio Buffo
- A. Buffo, D.L. Marchisio, Department of Science and Technology Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 Torino 10129 Italy
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- T. Casalini, Department of Innovative Technologies SUPSI Via la Santa 1 Lugano 6962 Switzerland
- T. Casalini, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich Vladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1–5/10 Zurich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Daniele L. Marchisio
- A. Buffo, D.L. Marchisio, Department of Science and Technology Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 Torino 10129 Italy
| | - Maurizio C. Barbato
- M.C. Barbato, Department of Innovative Technologies SUPSI Via la Santa 1 Lugano 6962 Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Storti
- G. Storti, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich Vladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1–5/10 Zurich 8093 Switzerland
- Current affiliation: Department of Chemistry Materials, and Engineering Chemistry “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano Via Mancinelli 7 Milan 20131 Italy
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Casalini T, Cingolani A, Scibona E. Modeling the Microenvironment-Dependent Degradation of Drug-Loaded Polylactic- co-glycolic Microparticles. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Cingolani
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Ernesto Scibona
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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Weber F, Casalini T, Valentino G, Brülisauer L, Andreas N, Koeberle A, Kamradt T, Contini A, Luciani P. Targeting transdifferentiated hepatic stellate cells and monitoring the hepatic fibrogenic process by means of IGF2R-specific peptides designed in silico. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:2092-2106. [PMID: 33595041 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb02372h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The lack of accurate and easily applicable methods for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis, a disease characterized by an accumulation of the extracellular matrix released by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), has been a major limitation for the clinical management of liver diseases. The identification of biomarkers specific to liver microstructure alterations, combined with a non-invasive optical imaging modality, could guide clinicians towards a therapeutic strategy. In this study, structural information of the insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R), an overexpressed protein on activated HSCs, was used for in silico screening of novel IGF2R-specific peptide ligands. Molecular dynamics simulations, followed by computational alanine scanning of the IGF2R/IGF2 complex, led to the identification of a putative peptide sequence containing the most relevant amino acids for the receptor-ligand interaction (IGF2 E12-C21). The Residue Scan tool, implemented in the MOE software, was then used to optimize the binding affinity of this sequence by amino acid mutations. The designed peptides and their associated scrambled sequences were fluorescently labelled and their binding affinity to LX-2 cells (model for activated human HSCs) was tested using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. In vitro binding was verified for all sequences (KD ≤ 13.2 μM). With respect to the putative binding sequence, most mutations led to an increased affinity. All sequences have shown superior binding compared to their associated scrambled sequences. Using HPLC, all peptides were tested in vitro for their proteolytic resistance and showed a stability of ≥60% intact after 24 h at 37 °C in 50% v/v FBS. In view of their prospective diagnostic application, a comparison of binding affinity was performed in perpetuated and quiescent-like LX-2 cells. Furthermore, the IGF2R expression for different cell phenotypes was analysed by a quantitative mass spectrometric approach. Our peptides showed increased binding to the perpetuated cell state, indicating their good selectivity for the diagnostically relevant phenotype. In summary, the increased binding affinity of our peptides towards perpetuated LX-2 cells, as well as the satisfactory proteolytic stability, proves that the in silico designed sequences offer a new potential strategy for the targeting of hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Weber
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Technology, Department of Innovative Technology, SUPSI, Manno, Switzerland and Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gina Valentino
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Lorine Brülisauer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nico Andreas
- Institute of Immunology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Koeberle
- Michael Popp Institute and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria and Chair of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Kamradt
- Institute of Immunology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche-Sezione di Chimica Generale e Organica "A. Marchesini", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Luciani
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ferreira Alves
- Chimie Catalyse Polymères et Procédés UMR‐5265 Université de Lyon CNRS CPE‐Lyon, UCB Lyon‐1, 43 Blvd du 11 Novembre 1918 Villeurbanne Cedex 69616 France
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering ETH Zurich, Vladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1–5/10 Zurich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Storti
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering ETH Zurich, Vladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 1–5/10 Zurich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Timothy F. L. McKenna
- Chimie Catalyse Polymères et Procédés UMR‐5265 Université de Lyon CNRS CPE‐Lyon, UCB Lyon‐1, 43 Blvd du 11 Novembre 1918 Villeurbanne Cedex 69616 France
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12
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Casalini T. Not only in silico drug discovery: Molecular modeling towards in silico drug delivery formulations. J Control Release 2021; 332:390-417. [PMID: 33675875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of methods at molecular scale for the discovery of new potential active ligands, as well as previously unknown binding sites for target proteins, is now an established reality. Literature offers many successful stories of active compounds developed starting from insights obtained in silico and approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the most famous examples is raltegravir, a HIV integrase inhibitor, which was developed after the discovery of a previously unknown transient binding area thanks to molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular simulations have the potential to also improve the design and engineering of drug delivery devices, which are still largely based on fundamental conservation equations. Although they can highlight the dominant release mechanism and quantitatively link the release rate to design parameters (size, drug loading, et cetera), their spatial resolution does not allow to fully capture how phenomena at molecular scale influence system behavior. In this scenario, the "computational microscope" offered by simulations at atomic scale can shed light on the impact of molecular interactions on crucial parameters such as release rate and the response of the drug delivery device to external stimuli, providing insights that are difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Moreover, the new paradigm brought by nanomedicine further underlined the importance of such computational microscope to study the interactions between nanoparticles and biological components with an unprecedented level of detail. Such knowledge is a fundamental pillar to perform device engineering and to achieve efficient and safe formulations. After a brief theoretical background, this review aims at discussing the potential of molecular simulations for the rational design of drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zürich 8093, Switzerland; Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, Lugano 6962, Switzerland.
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13
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Casalini T, Rosolen A, Henriques CYH, Perale G. Permeation of Biopolymers Across the Cell Membrane: A Computational Comparative Study on Polylactic Acid and Polyhydroxyalkanoate. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:718. [PMID: 32714910 PMCID: PMC7344160 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymeric nanoparticles, which by virtue of their size (1-1000 nm) are able to penetrate even into cells, are attracting increasing interest in the emerging field of nanomedicine, as devices for, e.g., drugs or vaccines delivery. Because of the involved dimensional scale in the nanoparticle/cell membrane interactions, modeling approaches at molecular level are the natural choice in order to understand the impact of nanoparticle formulation on cellular uptake mechanisms. In this work, the passive permeation across cell membrane of oligomers made of two employed polymers in the biomedical field [poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLA) and poly(3-hydroxydecanoate) (P3HD)] is investigated at fundamental atomic scale through molecular dynamics simulations. The free energy profile related to membrane crossing is computed adopting umbrella sampling. Passive permeation is also investigated using a coarse-grained model with MARTINI force field, adopting well-tempered metadynamics. Simulation results showed that P3HD permeation is favored with respect to PDLA by virtue of its higher hydrophobicity. The free energy profiles obtained at full atomistic and coarse-grained scale are in good agreement each for P3HD, while only a qualitative agreement was obtained for PDLA. Results suggest that a reparameterization of non-bonded interactions of the adopted MARTINI beads for the oligomer is needed in order to obtain a better agreement with more accurate simulations at atomic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Amanda Rosolen
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Carolina Yumi Hosoda Henriques
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Casalini T, Limongelli V, Schmutz M, Som C, Jordan O, Wick P, Borchard G, Perale G. Molecular Modeling for Nanomaterial-Biology Interactions: Opportunities, Challenges, and Perspectives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:268. [PMID: 31681746 PMCID: PMC6811494 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Injection of nanoparticles (NP) into the bloodstream leads to the formation of a so-called "nano-bio" interface where dynamic interactions between nanoparticle surfaces and blood components take place. A common consequence is the formation of the protein corona, that is, a network of adsorbed proteins that can strongly alter the surface properties of the nanoparticle. The protein corona and the resulting structural changes experienced by adsorbed proteins can lead to substantial deviations from the expected cellular uptake as well as biological responses such as NP aggregation and NP-induced protein fibrillation, NP interference with enzymatic activity, or the exposure of new antigenic epitopes. Achieving a detailed understanding of the nano-bio interface is still challenging due to the synergistic effects of several influencing factors like pH, ionic strength, and hydrophobic effects, to name just a few. Because of the multiscale complexity of the system, modeling approaches at a molecular level represent the ideal choice for a detailed understanding of the driving forces and, in particular, the early events at the nano-bio interface. This review aims at exploring and discussing the opportunities and perspectives offered by molecular modeling in this field through selected examples from literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
| | - Vittorio Limongelli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Computational Medicine in Cardiology, Institute of Computational Science, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Mélanie Schmutz
- Technology and Society Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Som
- Technology and Society Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Jordan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Peter Wick
- Laboratory for Particles – Biology Interactions, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Gerrit Borchard
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Wien, Austria
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15
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Casalini T, Rossi F, Castrovinci A, Perale G. A Perspective on Polylactic Acid-Based Polymers Use for Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:259. [PMID: 31681741 PMCID: PMC6797553 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA)-based polymers are ubiquitous in the biomedical field thanks to their combination of attractive peculiarities: biocompatibility (degradation products do not elicit critical responses and are easily metabolized by the body), hydrolytic degradation in situ, tailorable properties, and well-established processing technologies. This led to the development of several applications, such as bone fixation screws, bioresorbable suture threads, and stent coating, just to name a few. Nanomedicine could not be unconcerned by PLA-based materials as well, where their use for the synthesis of nanocarriers for the targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs emerged as a new promising application. The purpose of the here presented review is two-fold: on one side, it aims at providing a broad overview of PLA-based materials and their properties, which allow them gaining a leading role in the biomedical field; on the other side, it offers a specific focus on their recent use in nanomedicine, highlighting opportunities and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Castrovinci
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Drechsler S, Balog S, Kilbinger AFM, Casalini T. The influence of substituents on gelation and stacking order of oligoaramid - based supramolecular networks. Soft Matter 2019; 15:7250-7261. [PMID: 31482923 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00148d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly has proven to be a powerful tool for functional, smart materials such as hydrogels derived from low molecular weight compounds. However, the targeted design of functional gelators remains difficult. Here, we present a set of four Y-shaped aromatic amide tetramers with varying functionalities able to undergo different non-covalent interactions. These compounds were explored towards their self-assembly behavior and hydrogel formation by experimental methods such as UV-vis spectroscopy, rheology, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning/transmission electron, and atomic force microscopy. Additionally, we investigated the main mechanisms behind oligomer aggregation and the structure of the resulting supramolecular chains through full atomistic molecular dynamics simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Drechsler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
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17
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Roman DL, Roman M, Som C, Schmutz M, Hernandez E, Wick P, Casalini T, Perale G, Ostafe V, Isvoran A. Computational Assessment of the Pharmacological Profiles of Degradation Products of Chitosan. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:214. [PMID: 31552240 PMCID: PMC6743017 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chitosan is a natural polymer revealing an increased potential to be used in different biomedical applications, including drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. It implies the evaluation of the organism response to the biomaterial implantation. Low-molecular degradation products, the chito-oligomers, are resulting mainly from the influence of enzymes, which are found in the organism fluids. Within this study, we have performed the computational assessment of pharmacological profiles and toxicological effects on human health of small chito-oligomers with distinct molecular weights, deacetylation degrees, and acetylation patterns. Our approach is based on the fact that regulatory agencies and researchers in the drug development field rely on the use of modeling to predict biological effects and to guide decision making. To be considered as valid for regulatory purposes, every model that is used for predictions should be associated with a defined toxicological endpoint and has appropriate robustness and predictivity. Within this context, we have used FAF-Drugs4, SwissADME, and PreADMET tools to predict the oral bioavailability of chito-oligomers and SwissADME, PreADMET, and admetSAR2.0 tools to predict their pharmacokinetic profiles. The organs and genomic toxicities have been assessed using admetSAR2.0 and PreADMET tools but specific computational facilities have been also used for predicting different toxicological endpoints: Pred-Skin for skin sensitization, CarcinoPred-EL for carcinogenicity, Pred-hERG for cardiotoxicity, ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOME for endocrine disruption potential and Toxtree for carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Our computational assessment showed that investigated chito-oligomers reflect promising pharmacological profiles and limited toxicological effects on humans, regardless of molecular weight, deacetylation degree, and acetylation pattern. According to our results, there is a possible inhibition of the organic anion transporting peptides OATP1B1 and/or OATP1B3, a weak potential of cardiotoxicity, a minor probability of affecting the androgen receptor, and phospholipidosis. Consequently, these results may be used to guide or to complement the existing in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests, to optimize biomaterials properties and to contribute to the selection of prototypes for nanocarriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Larisa Roman
- Advanced Environmental Research Laboratories, Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Marin Roman
- Advanced Environmental Research Laboratories, Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Claudia Som
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Schmutz
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Edgar Hernandez
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Peter Wick
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
| | - Vasile Ostafe
- Advanced Environmental Research Laboratories, Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Adriana Isvoran
- Advanced Environmental Research Laboratories, Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
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18
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Casalini T, Rossi F, Brizielli L, Perale G. Theoretical Investigation of Design Space for Multi Layer Drug Eluting Bioresorbable Suture Threads. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2019; 20:332-345. [DOI: 10.2174/1389201020666190206200411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
The work presented here is focused on the development of a comprehensive
theoretical model for the description of drug release from a double - layer bioresorbable suture thread
and the therapeutic efficacy of the active compounds delivered in the surrounding tissue.
Methods:
In particular, the system under investigation is composed of a core of slow-degrading polylactic-
acid-co-ε-caprolactone (PLCL), where an antibiotic compound (Vancomycin) is loaded, surrounded
by a shell of a fast-degrading polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) which contains an anesthetic
drug (Lidocaine hydrochloride) for the post-surgical pain relief.
Results:
This system is of potential interest for the combined effects provided by the different active
molecules, but the different release and polymer degradation dynamics, as well as their mutual influence,
do not allow an intuitive a priori evaluation of device behavior, which can be rationalized
through mathematical modeling. The model takes into account the main involved phenomena (polymer
degradation and diffusion of the drugs within the device and the tissue, where they are metabolized)
and their synergic effects on the overall system behavior.
Conclusion:
Model results are discussed in order to quantify the impact of the main design parameters on
device performances, thanks to the use of phase diagrams (which show drug effect in time and space)
whose insights are summarized in order to determine a design space according to the specific needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Engineering, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering , Italy
| | - Luisa Brizielli
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Engineering, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928 Manno, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Engineering, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928 Manno, Switzerland
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19
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Casalini T, Perale G. From Microscale to Macroscale: Nine Orders of Magnitude for a Comprehensive Modeling of Hydrogels for Controlled Drug Delivery. Gels 2019; 5:E28. [PMID: 31096685 PMCID: PMC6631542 DOI: 10.3390/gels5020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of their inherent biocompatibility and tailorable network design, hydrogels meet an increasing interest as biomaterials for the fabrication of controlled drug delivery devices. In this regard, mathematical modeling can highlight release mechanisms and governing phenomena, thus gaining a key role as complementary tool for experimental activity. Starting from the seminal contribution given by Flory-Rehner equation back in 1943 for the determination of matrix structural properties, over more than 70 years, hydrogel modeling has not only taken advantage of new theories and the increasing computational power, but also of the methods offered by computational chemistry, which provide details at the fundamental molecular level. Simulation techniques such as molecular dynamics act as a "computational microscope" and allow for obtaining a new and deeper understanding of the specific interactions between the solute and the polymer, opening new exciting possibilities for an in silico network design at the molecular scale. Moreover, system modeling constitutes an essential step within the "safety by design" paradigm that is becoming one of the new regulatory standard requirements also in the field-controlled release devices. This review aims at providing a summary of the most frequently used modeling approaches (molecular dynamics, coarse-grained models, Brownian dynamics, dissipative particle dynamics, Monte Carlo simulations, and mass conservation equations), which are here classified according to the characteristic length scale. The outcomes and the opportunities of each approach are compared and discussed with selected examples from literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, SUPSI-University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria 2, 6928 Manno, Switzerland.
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, SUPSI-University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria 2, 6928 Manno, Switzerland.
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics, Orthopaedic Clinic-IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Genova, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.
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20
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Paidikondala M, Rangasami VK, Nawale GN, Casalini T, Perale G, Kadekar S, Mohanty G, Salminen T, Oommen OP, Varghese OP. An Unexpected Role of Hyaluronic Acid in Trafficking siRNA Across the Cellular Barrier: The First Biomimetic, Anionic, Non‐Viral Transfection Method. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201900099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maruthibabu Paidikondala
- Translational Chemical Biology LaboratoryDepartment of ChemistryÅngström LaboratoryUppsala University 75121 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Vignesh Kumar Rangasami
- Bioengineering and Nanomedicine LabFaculty of Medicine and Health Technologies and BioMediTech InstituteTampere University Korkeakoulunkatu 3 33720 Tampere Finland
| | - Ganesh N. Nawale
- Translational Chemical Biology LaboratoryDepartment of ChemistryÅngström LaboratoryUppsala University 75121 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material EngineeringDepartment of Innovative TechnologiesSUPSI 6928 Manno Switzerland
- Institute for Chemical and BioengineeringDepartment of Chemistry and Applied BiosciencesETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material EngineeringDepartment of Innovative TechnologiesSUPSI 6928 Manno Switzerland
| | - Sandeep Kadekar
- Translational Chemical Biology LaboratoryDepartment of ChemistryÅngström LaboratoryUppsala University 75121 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Gaurav Mohanty
- Materials Science and Environmental EngineeringFaculty of Engineering and Natural SciencesTampere University Finland
| | | | - Oommen P. Oommen
- Bioengineering and Nanomedicine LabFaculty of Medicine and Health Technologies and BioMediTech InstituteTampere University Korkeakoulunkatu 3 33720 Tampere Finland
| | - Oommen P. Varghese
- Translational Chemical Biology LaboratoryDepartment of ChemistryÅngström LaboratoryUppsala University 75121 Uppsala Sweden
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21
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Paidikondala M, Rangasami VK, Nawale GN, Casalini T, Perale G, Kadekar S, Mohanty G, Salminen T, Oommen OP, Varghese OP. An Unexpected Role of Hyaluronic Acid in Trafficking siRNA Across the Cellular Barrier: The First Biomimetic, Anionic, Non-Viral Transfection Method. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:2815-2819. [PMID: 30644615 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201900099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Circulating nucleic acids, such as short interfering RNA (siRNA), regulate many biological processes; however, the mechanism by which these molecules enter the cell is poorly understood. The role of extracellular-matrix-derived polymers in binding siRNAs and trafficking them across the plasma membrane is reported. Thermal melting, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and computational analysis indicate that hyaluronic acid can stabilize siRNA via hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals interactions. This stabilization facilitated HA size- and concentration-dependent gene silencing in a CD44-positive human osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) and in human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs). This native HA-based siRNA transfection represents the first report on an anionic, non-viral delivery method that resulted in approximately 60 % gene knockdown in both cell types tested, which correlated with a reduction in translation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maruthibabu Paidikondala
- Translational Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75121, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vignesh Kumar Rangasami
- Bioengineering and Nanomedicine Lab, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technologies and BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ganesh N Nawale
- Translational Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75121, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Engineering, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928, Manno, Switzerland.,Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Engineering, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Sandeep Kadekar
- Translational Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75121, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gaurav Mohanty
- Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, Finland
| | | | - Oommen P Oommen
- Bioengineering and Nanomedicine Lab, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technologies and BioMediTech Institute, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, 33720, Tampere, Finland
| | - Oommen P Varghese
- Translational Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75121, Uppsala, Sweden
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22
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Ferracini R, Martínez Herreros I, Russo A, Casalini T, Rossi F, Perale G. Scaffolds as Structural Tools for Bone-Targeted Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2018; 10:pharmaceutics10030122. [PMID: 30096765 PMCID: PMC6161191 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10030122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although bone has a high potential to regenerate itself after damage and injury, the efficacious repair of large bone defects resulting from resection, trauma or non-union fractures still requires the implantation of bone grafts. Materials science, in conjunction with biotechnology, can satisfy these needs by developing artificial bones, synthetic substitutes and organ implants. In particular, recent advances in materials science have provided several innovations, underlying the increasing importance of biomaterials in this field. To address the increasing need for improved bone substitutes, tissue engineering seeks to create synthetic, three-dimensional scaffolds made from organic or inorganic materials, incorporating drugs and growth factors, to induce new bone tissue formation. This review emphasizes recent progress in materials science that allows reliable scaffolds to be synthesized for targeted drug delivery in bone regeneration, also with respect to past directions no longer considered promising. A general overview concerning modeling approaches suitable for the discussed systems is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Ferracini
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Orthopaedic Clinic-IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Isabel Martínez Herreros
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Orthopaedic Clinic-IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Orthopaedic Clinic-IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria, 26928 Manno, Switzerland.
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Orthopaedic Clinic-IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria, 26928 Manno, Switzerland.
- Industrie Biomediche Insubri SA, Via Cantonale 67, 6805 Mezzovico-Vira, Switzerland.
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23
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Cingolani A, Casalini T, Caimi S, Klaue A, Sponchioni M, Rossi F, Perale G. A Methodologic Approach for the Selection of Bio-Resorbable Polymers in the Development of Medical Devices: The Case of Poly(l-lactide- co-ε-caprolactone). Polymers (Basel) 2018; 10:E851. [PMID: 30960776 PMCID: PMC6403915 DOI: 10.3390/polym10080851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades bioresorbable and biodegradable polymers have gained a very good reputation both in research and in industry thanks to their unique characteristics. They are able to ensure high performance and biocompatibility, at the same time avoiding post-healing surgical interventions for device removal. In the medical device industry, it is widely known that product formulation and manufacturing need to follow specific procedures in order to ensure both the proper mechanical properties and desired degradation profile. Moreover, the sterilization method is crucial and its impact on physical properties is generally underestimated. In this work we focused our attention on the effect of different terminal sterilization methods on two commercially available poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) with equivalent chemical composition (70% PLA and 30% PCL) and relatively similar initial molecular weights, but different chain arrangements and crystallinity. Results obtained show that crystallinity plays a key role in helping preserve the narrow distribution of chains and, as a consequence, defined physical properties. These statements can be used as guidelines for a better choice of the most adequate biodegradable polymers in the production of resorbable medical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Cingolani
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Industrie Biomediche Insubri SA (IBI), Via Cantonale 67, 6805 Mezzovico-Vira, Switzerland.
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, SUPSI-University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria 2, 6928 Manno, Switzerland.
| | - Stefano Caimi
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Antoine Klaue
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Mattia Sponchioni
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", Politecnico di Milano, 20100 Milan, Italy.
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", Politecnico di Milano, 20100 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Industrie Biomediche Insubri SA (IBI), Via Cantonale 67, 6805 Mezzovico-Vira, Switzerland.
- Biomaterials Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, SUPSI-University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Cantonale 2C, Galleria 2, 6928 Manno, Switzerland.
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Casalini T, Visscher F, Tamaddoni M, Friederichs N, Bertola F, Storti G, Morbidelli M. The Effect of Residence Time Distribution on the Slurry-Phase Catalytic Ethylene Polymerization: An Experimental and Computational Study. MACROMOL REACT ENG 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/mren.201700058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; ETH Zurich; 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Giuseppe Storti
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; ETH Zurich; 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Massimo Morbidelli
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; ETH Zurich; 8093 Zurich Switzerland
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Yan HJ, Casalini T, Hulsart-Billström G, Wang S, Oommen OP, Salvalaglio M, Larsson S, Hilborn J, Varghese OP. Synthetic design of growth factor sequestering extracellular matrix mimetic hydrogel for promoting in vivo bone formation. Biomaterials 2018; 161:190-202. [PMID: 29421555 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic scaffolds that possess an intrinsic capability to protect and sequester sensitive growth factors is a primary requisite for developing successful tissue engineering strategies. Growth factors such as recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is highly susceptible to premature degradation and to provide a meaningful clinical outcome require high doses that can cause serious side effects. We discovered a unique strategy to stabilize and sequester rhBMP-2 by enhancing its molecular interactions with hyaluronic acid (HA), an extracellular matrix (ECM) component. We found that by tuning the initial protonation state of carboxylic acid residues of HA in a covalently crosslinked hydrogel modulate BMP-2 release at physiological pH by minimizing the electrostatic repulsion and maximizing the Van der Waals interactions. At neutral pH, BMP-2 release is primarily governed by Fickian diffusion, whereas at acidic pH both diffusion and electrostatic interactions between HA and BMP-2 become important as confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results were also validated in an in vivo rat ectopic model with rhBMP-2 loaded hydrogels, which demonstrated superior bone formation with acidic hydrogel as compared to the neutral counterpart. We believe this study provides new insight on growth factor stabilization and highlights the therapeutic potential of engineered matrices for rhBMP-2 delivery and may help to curtail the adverse side effects associated with the high dose of the growth factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Ji Yan
- Department of Chemistry, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 21, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Technology, Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI, 6928, Manno, Switzerland
| | | | - Shujiang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 21, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oommen P Oommen
- Bioengineering and Nanomedicine Lab, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering & Biomeditech Institute, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, 33720, Finland
| | - Matteo Salvalaglio
- Thomas Young Centre and Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Sune Larsson
- Department of Orthopedics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jöns Hilborn
- Department of Chemistry, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 21, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oommen P Varghese
- Department of Chemistry, The Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 21, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Signorell RD, Papachristodoulou A, Xiao J, Arpagaus B, Casalini T, Grandjean J, Thamm J, Steiniger F, Luciani P, Brambilla D, Werner B, Martin E, Weller M, Roth P, Leroux JC. Preparation of PEGylated liposomes incorporating lipophilic lomeguatrib derivatives for the sensitization of chemo-resistant gliomas. Int J Pharm 2017; 536:388-396. [PMID: 29198811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.11.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Liposomal delivery is a well-established approach to increase the therapeutic index of drugs, mainly in the field of cancer chemotherapy. Here, we report the preparation and characterization of a new liposomal formulation of a derivative of lomeguatrib, a potent O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) inactivator. The drug had been tested in clinical trials to revert chemoresistance, but was associated with a low therapeutic index. A series of lomeguatrib conjugates with distinct alkyl chain lengths - i.e. C12, C14, C16, and C18 - was synthesized, and the MGMT depleting activity as well as cytotoxicity were determined on relevant mouse and human glioma cell lines. Drug-containing liposomes were prepared and characterized in terms of loading and in vitro release kinetics. The lipophilic lomeguatrib conjugates did not exert cytotoxic effects at 5 μM in the mouse glioma cell line and exhibited a similar MGMT depleting activity pattern as lomeguatrib. Overall, drug loading could be improved by up to 50-fold with the lipophilic conjugates, and the slowest leakage was achieved with the C18 derivative. The present data show the applicability of lipophilic lomeguatrib derivatization for incorporation into liposomes, and identify the C18 derivative as the lead compound for in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rea D Signorell
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandros Papachristodoulou
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital and University of Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jiawen Xiao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bianca Arpagaus
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Material Technology, Department of Innovative Technology, SUPSI, 6928, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jana Thamm
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Frank Steiniger
- Electron Microscopy Center, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Paola Luciani
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Davide Brambilla
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Werner
- Center for MR-Research, University Children's Hospital, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ernst Martin
- Center for MR-Research, University Children's Hospital, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Weller
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital and University of Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Roth
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital and University of Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jean-Christophe Leroux
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Luciani P, Estella-Hermoso de Mendoza A, Casalini T, Lang S, Atrott K, Spalinger MR, Pratsinis A, Sobek J, Frey-Wagner I, Schumacher J, Leroux JC, Rogler G. Gastroresistant oral peptide for fluorescence imaging of colonic inflammation. J Control Release 2017; 262:118-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Casalini T, Visscher F, Janssen E, Bertola F, Storti G, Morbidelli M. Modeling of Polyolefin Polymerization in Semibatch Slurry Reactors: Experiments and Simulations. MACROMOL REACT ENG 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/mren.201600036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zurich Zurich 8093 Switzerland
| | | | - Erik Janssen
- 6167 SABIC; Technology; Geleen 6167 The Netherlands
| | | | - Giuseppe Storti
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zurich Zurich 8093 Switzerland
| | - Massimo Morbidelli
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering; Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zurich Zurich 8093 Switzerland
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Owczarz M, Casalini T, Motta AC, Morbidelli M, Arosio P. Contribution of Electrostatics in the Fibril Stability of a Model Ionic-Complementary Peptide. Biomacromolecules 2015; 16:3792-801. [PMID: 26594824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b01092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In this work we quantified the role of electrostatic interactions in the self-assembly of a model amphiphilic peptide (RADA 16-I) into fibrillar structures by a combination of size exclusion chromatography and molecular simulations. For the peptide under investigation, it is found that a net charge of +0.75 represents the ideal condition to promote the formation of regular amyloid fibrils. Lower net charges favor the formation of amorphous precipitates, while larger net charges destabilize the fibrillar aggregates and promote a reversible dissociation of monomers from the ends of the fibrils. By quantifying the dependence of the equilibrium constant of this reversible reaction on the pH value and the peptide net charge, we show that electrostatic interactions contribute largely to the free energy of fibril formation. The addition of both salt and a charged destabilizer (guanidinium hydrochloride) at moderate concentration (0.3-1 M) shifts the monomer-fibril equilibrium toward the fibrillar state. Whereas the first effect can be explained by charge screening of electrostatic repulsion only, the promotion of fibril formation in the presence of guanidinium hydrochloride is also attributed to modifications of the peptide conformation. The results of this work indicate that the global peptide net charge is a key property that correlates well with the fibril stability, although the peptide conformation and the surface charge distribution also contribute to the aggregation propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Owczarz
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna C Motta
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Massimo Morbidelli
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Arosio
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Colombo C, Gatti S, Ferrari R, Casalini T, Cuccato D, Morosi L, Zucchetti M, Moscatelli D. Self-assembling amphiphilic PEGylated block copolymers obtained through RAFT polymerization for drug-delivery applications. J Appl Polym Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/app.43084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Colombo
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1; 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Simone Gatti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica, Politecnico Di Milano; 20131 Milano
| | - Raffaele Ferrari
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri; Via La Masa 19 20156 Milano Italy
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1; 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Danilo Cuccato
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences; ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1; 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Lavinia Morosi
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri; Via La Masa 19 20156 Milano Italy
| | - Massimo Zucchetti
- IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri; Via La Masa 19 20156 Milano Italy
| | - Davide Moscatelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica, Politecnico Di Milano; 20131 Milano
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Casalini T, Rossi F, Lazzari S, Perale G, Masi M. Mathematical Modeling of PLGA Microparticles: From Polymer Degradation to Drug Release. Mol Pharm 2014; 11:4036-48. [DOI: 10.1021/mp500078u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Lazzari
- Institute
for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied
Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University for Applied Science and Art of Southern Switzerland, via Cantonale 2c, CH-6928 Manno, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute for Regenerative Medicine, via ai Söi, CH-6807 Taverne, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Masi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
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Rossi F, Ferrari R, Papa S, Moscatelli D, Casalini T, Forloni G, Perale G, Veglianese P. Tunable hydrogel—Nanoparticles release system for sustained combination therapies in the spinal cord. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2013; 108:169-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2013.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Revised: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Casalini T, Masi M, Perale G. Drug eluting sutures: A model for in vivo estimations. Int J Pharm 2012; 429:148-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2012.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Rossi
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering
“Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering
“Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Edoardo Raffa
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering
“Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Masi
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering
“Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering
“Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
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Casalini T, Salvalaglio M, Perale G, Masi M, Cavallotti C. Diffusion and Aggregation of Sodium Fluorescein in Aqueous Solutions. J Phys Chem B 2011; 115:12896-904. [DOI: 10.1021/jp207459k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano via Mancinelli 7−20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Salvalaglio
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano via Mancinelli 7−20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano via Mancinelli 7−20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Masi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano via Mancinelli 7−20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Carlo Cavallotti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano via Mancinelli 7−20131 Milano, Italy
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Casalini T, Rossi F, Santoro M, Perale G. Structural characterization of poly-l-lactic acid (P(L)LA) and poly(glycolic acid)(PGA) oligomers. Int J Mol Sci 2011; 12:3857-70. [PMID: 21747712 PMCID: PMC3131596 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12063857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Revised: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural characterization of poly-l-lactic acid (P(L)LA) and poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) oligomers containing three units was carried out with an atomistic approach. Oligomer structures were first optimized through quantum chemical calculations, using density functional theory (DFT); rotational barriers concerning dihedral angles along the chain were then investigated. Diffusion coefficients of l-lactic acid and glycolic acid in pure water were estimated through molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. Monomer structures were obtained with quantum chemical computation in implicit water using DFT method; atomic charges were fitted with Restrained Electrostatic Potentials (RESP) formalism, starting from electrostatic potentials calculated with quantum chemistry. MD simulations were carried out in explicit water, in order to take into account solvent presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (T.C.); (F.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Filippo Rossi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (T.C.); (F.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Marco Santoro
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (T.C.); (F.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (T.C.); (F.R.); (M.S.)
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Rossi F, Santoro M, Casalini T, Veglianese P, Masi M, Perale G. Characterization and degradation behavior of agar-carbomer based hydrogels for drug delivery applications: solute effect. Int J Mol Sci 2011; 12:3394-408. [PMID: 21747683 PMCID: PMC3131567 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12063394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2011] [Revised: 05/18/2011] [Accepted: 05/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study hydrogels synthesized from agarose and carbomer 974P macromers were selected for their potential application in spinal cord injury (SCI) repair strategies following their ability to carry cells and drugs. Indeed, in drug delivery applications, one of the most important issues to be addressed concerns hydrogel ability to provide a finely controlled delivery of loaded drugs, together with a coherent degradation kinetic. Nevertheless, solute effects on drug delivery system are often neglected in the large body of literature, focusing only on the characterization of unloaded matrices. For this reason, in this work, hydrogels were loaded with a chromophoric salt able to mimic, in terms of steric hindrance, many steroids commonly used in SCI repair, and its effects were investigated both from a structural and a rheological point of view, considering the pH-sensitivity of the material. Additionally, degradation chemistry was assessed by means of infrared bond response (FT-IR) and mass loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Rossi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (F.R.); (M.S.); (T.C.); (M.M.)
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Marco Santoro
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (F.R.); (M.S.); (T.C.); (M.M.)
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Tommaso Casalini
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (F.R.); (M.S.); (T.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Pietro Veglianese
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Maurizio Masi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (F.R.); (M.S.); (T.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy; E-Mails: (F.R.); (M.S.); (T.C.); (M.M.)
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, via La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, Italy; E-Mail:
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +39-02-2399-3145; Fax: +39-02-2399-3180
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Rossi F, Santoro M, Casalini T, Perale G. Synthesis and characterization of lanthanum bonded agar-carbomer hydrogel: a promising tool for biomedical research. J RARE EARTH 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/s1002-0721(10)60442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Perale G, Casalini T, Masi M. Corrigendum to “A new model of resorbable device degradation and drug release: Transient 1-dimension diffusional mode” [Journal of Controlled Release 136 (2009) 196–205]. J Control Release 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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