Spanlastic-laden nanogel as a plausible platform for dermal delivery of bimatoprost with superior cutaneous deposition and hair regrowth efficiency in androgenic alopecia

Bimatoprost (BIM) is a prostaglandin F2α analogs originally approved for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Recent studies have highlighted its potential to boost hair growth. The objective of this investigation is to challenge the potential of spanlastics (SLs) as a surfactant-based vesicular system for promoting the cutaneous delivery of BIM for the management of alopecia. BIM-loaded spanlastics (BIM-SLs), composed of Span as the main vesicle component and Tween as the edge activator, were fabricated by ethanol injection method. The formulated BIM-SLs were optimized by 23 full factorial design. The optimized formula (F1) was characterized for entrapment efficiency, surface charge, vesicle size, and drug release after 12 h (Q12h). The optimized formula (F1) exhibited high drug entrapment efficiency (83.1 ± 2.1%), appropriate zeta potential (-19.9 ± 2.1 mV), Q12h of 71.3 ± 5.3%, and a vesicle size of 364.2 ± 15.8 nm, which favored their cutaneous accumulation. In addition, ex-vivo skin deposition studies revealed that entrapping BIM within spanlastic-based nanogel (BIM-SLG) augmented the dermal deposition of BIM, compared to naïve BIM gel. Furthermore, in vivo studies verified the efficacy of spanlastic vesicles to boost the cutaneous accumulation of BIM compared to naive BIM gel; the AUC0-12h of BIM-SLG was 888.05 ± 72.31 μg/mL.h, which was twice as high as that of naïve BIM gel (AUC0-12h 382.86 ± 41.12 μg/mL.h). Intriguingly, BIM-SLG outperforms both naïve BIM gel and commercial minoxidil formulations in stimulating hair regrowth in an androgenetic alopecia mouse model. Collectively, spanlastic vesicles might be a potential platform for promoting the dermal delivery of BIM in managing alopecia.

Enhancing the anticancer potential of metformin: fabrication of efficient nanospanlastics, in vitro cytotoxic studies on HEP-2 cells and reactome enhanced pathway analysis

Metformin (MET), an oral antidiabetic drug, was reported to possess promising anticancer effects. We hypothesized that MET encapsulation in unique nanospanlastics would enhance its anticancer potential against HEP-2 cells. Our results showed the successful fabrication of Nano-MET spanlastics (d = 232.10 ± 0.20 nm; PDI = 0.25 ± 0.11; zeta potential = (-) 44.50 ± 0.96; drug content = 99.90 ± 0.11 and entrapment efficiency = 88.01 ± 2.50%). MTT assay revealed the enhanced Nano-MET cytotoxicity over MET with a calculated IC50 of 50 μg/mL and > 500 μg/mL, respectively. Annexin V/PI apoptosis assay showed that Nano-MET significantly decreased the percentage of live cells from 95.49 to 93.70 compared to MET and increased the percentage of cells arrested in the G0/G1 phase by 8.38%. Moreover, Nano-MET downregulated BCL-2 and upregulated BAX protein levels by 1.57 and 1.88 folds, respectively. RT-qPCR revealed that Nano-MET caused a significant 13.75, 4.15, and 2.23-fold increase in caspase-3, -8, and - 9 levels as well as a 100 and 43.47-fold decrease in cyclin D1 and mTOR levels, respectively. The proliferation marker Ki67 immunofluorescent staining revealed a 3-fold decrease in positive cells in Nano-MET compared to the control. Utilizing the combined Pathway-Enrichment Analysis (PEA) and Reactome analysis indicated high enrichment of certain pathways including nucleotides metabolism, Nudix-type hydrolase enzymes, carbon dioxide hydration, hemostasis, and the innate immune system. In summary, our results confirm MET cytotoxicity enhancement by its encapsulation in nanospanlastics. We also highlight, using PEA, that MET can modulate multiple pathways implicated in carcinogenesis.

Challenges and Opportunities for Celecoxib Repurposing

Drug repositioning, also known as drug repurposing, reprofiling, or rediscovery, is considered to be one of the most promising strategies to accelerate the development of new original drug products. Multiple examples of successful rediscovery or therapeutic switching of old molecules that did not show clinical benefits or safety in initial trials encourage the following of the discovery of new therapeutic pathways for them. This review summarizes the efforts that have been made, mostly over the last decade, to identify new therapeutic targets for celecoxib. To achieve this goal, records gathered in MEDLINE PubMed and Scopus databases along with the registry of clinical trials by the US National Library of Medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health were explored. Since celecoxib is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that represents the class of selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs), its clinical potential in metronomic cancer therapy, the treatment of mental disorders, or infectious diseases has been discussed. In the end, the perspective of a formulator, facing various challenges related to unfavorable physicochemical properties of celecoxib upon the development of new oral dosage forms, long-acting injectables, and topical formulations, including the latest trends in the pharmaceutical technology, such as the application of mesoporous carriers, biodegradable microparticles, lipid-based nanosystems, or spanlastics, was presented.

Thin film hydration versus modified spraying technique to fabricate intranasal spanlastic nanovesicles for rasagiline mesylate brain delivery: Characterization, statistical optimization, and in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation

Rasagiline mesylate (RM) is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor that is commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However, it suffers from low oral bioavailability due to its extensive hepatic metabolism in addition to its hydrophilic nature which limits its ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the central nervous system where it exerts its pharmacological effect. Thus, this study aims to form RM-loaded spanlastic vesicles for intranasal (IN) administration to overcome its hepatic metabolism and permit its direct delivery to the brain. RM-loaded spanlastics were prepared using thin film hydration (TFH) and modified spraying technique (MST). A 2³ factorial design was constructed to study and optimize the effects of the independent formulation variables, namely, Span type, Span: Brij 35 ratio, and sonication time on the vesicles᾽ characteristics in each preparation technique. The optimized system prepared using MST (MST 2) has shown higher desirability factor with smaller PS and higher EE%; thus, it was selected for further in vivo evaluation where it revealed that the extent of RM distribution from the intranasally administered spanlastics to the brain was comparable to that of the IV drug solution with significantly high brain-targeting efficiency (458.47%). These results suggest that the IN administration of the optimized RM-loaded spanlastics could be a promising, non-invasive alternative for the efficient delivery of RM to brain tissues to exert its pharmacological activities without being dissipated to other body organs which subsequently may result in higher pharmacological efficiency and better safety profile.

Novel Luliconazole Spanlastic Nanocarriers: Development and Characterisation

BACKGROUND

The formulation of spanlastic vesicles of luliconazole can be used to overcome its poor skin permeation and improve its antifungal efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to enhance the dermal delivery of luliconazole, an antifungal drug, through spanlastic vesicles.

METHODS

A 2³ regular factorial design was employed, using the Design Expert® software for optimization. The independent variables chosen were Span: Edge activator ratio, type of edge activator, and sonication intensity and their effect on the dependent variables, i.e., entrapment efficiency, particle size, and percentage of drug release after 8h were determined. Spanlastics were formulated by ethanol injection method using Tween 80 as an edge activator.

RESULTS

Spanlastics were found to possess sizes in the nano range with entrapment efficiencies between 77 - 88% with optimum zeta potential and polydispersity index indicating a stable formulation. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared studies revealed complete encapsulation of the drug within the elastic carriers. The optimized spanlastic formulation was further incorporated into a gel base and was found to be sufficiently viscous, spreadable, homogenous, showed a prolonged release for up to 8h and was also found to be non-irritant. The in-vitro permeation study revealed that the flux value obtained for luliconazole entrapped in the vesicular spanlastics (0.2292 mg/cm².h) was also found to be higher than that of the marketed (0.1302 mg/cm².h) and conventional gel (0.1122 mg/cm².h). The optimized gel formulation was also evaluated for its antimycotic activity. Moreover, the optimized gel formulation also possessed a greater antimycotic activity against Candida albicans. The spanlastics loaded hydrogel formulation was found to have a greater zone of inhibition in comparison to the marketed formulation, thus proving to have optimum antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the results revealed that spanlastics could be a potential nanocarrier for wellcontrolled delivery and for targeting deeper skin layers, thus providing new opportunities for dermal treatment.

Resveratrol-Loaded Vesicular Elastic Nanocarriers Gel in Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis Treatment: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

This work aimed to develop a new efficient approach for safe treatment of psoriasis. To achieve that, resveratrol-loaded spanlastics(F1-F12) were prepared and evaluated by complete in vitro characterization. The two optimal formulations (F10 and F11) had their particle size in the nano range with high entrapment efficiency and sustainable drug release. These two formulae were incorporated in carbopol 934 gel formulations (G1-G8) with different concentrations of drug and carbopol 934 polymer. G1 and G5 (1% w/w Carbopol 934 gel and 0.1% resveratrol) showed 40.13% ± 2.017% and 73.76% ± 2.46%,8 hours drug release, respectively. Their pH was accepted and non-irritant. At a shear stress of 500 s^-1, G1 and G5 showed a reasonable viscosity of 1048.5 ± 2.12 cps and 954 ± 2.15 cps, respectively. In the in vivo psoriasis study, mice treated by G5 gel showed significant improvement of erythema and scaling compared to positive control group and they maintained healthy skin as shown in histopathological observations. Moreover, this group showed the least changes in mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines. Concisely, our results suggest that selected carbopol gel of resveratrol-loaded spanlastics could maximize resveratrol topical anti-psoriatic effect.

Liver targeting of ledipasvir via galactosylated chitosan-coated spanlastics: chemical synthesis, statistical optimization, in vitro, and pharmacokinetic evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Ledipasvir is an effective direct acting antiviral agent used in the treatment of hepatitis C virus. The high price of ledipasvir was a reason for its limited provision to wide population of HCV patients.

OBJECTIVES

Our objective is the formulation of liver targeted drug delivery system that can increase the amount of ledipasvir delivered to liver and prolong its liver residence in an attempt to reduce its recommended dose and its costing in the treatment of HCV.

METHODS

Different ledipasvir-loaded spanlastic formulations were prepared using the ethanol injection method and evaluated with respect to the particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency %. Using Design-Expert ® software, the optimum spanlastics formulation was selected; then, it was coated by synthesized galactosylated chitosan. A pharmacokinetic study was carried out to evaluate the ability of the prepared galactosylated chitosan-coated spanlastics formulation to enhance ledipasvir liver bioavailability when it was administrated via the oral route.

RESULTS

The pharmacokinetic study revealed that the optimized galactosylated chitosan-coated spanlastics exhibited significantly higher liver peak concentration (Cmax) and area under liver concentration versus time curve (AUC0-72 h) and significant prolongation in the liver terminal half life (t½) and mean residence time (MRT) compared to the free ledipasvir dispersion with values of 6270 ng/g, 61,706.3 ng.h/g, 15.85 h, and 24.66 h, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Enhanced liver bioavailability of ledipasvir has been accomplished using the developed galactosylated chitosan-coated spanlastics which can be a base for probable reduction in the required dose of ledipasvir in HCV treatment.

Vesicular nanocarrier based treatment of skin fungal infections: Potential and emerging trends in nanoscale pharmacotherapy

Occurrence of skin fungal infections is increasing nowadays and their presence is more prominent in patients suffering from immunocompromised diseases like AIDS. Skin fungal infections are a major cause of visits by patients to dermatology clinics. Although, a large number of antifungal agents are available for treatment of skin fungal infections, but, their toxic profile and physicochemical characteristics reduce therapeutic outcome. When these antifungal agents are delivered topically using conventional formulations like creams and gels, they may cause various side effects like redness, burning, and swelling at the site of application. Therefore, various vesicular formulations (phospholipid based or non phospholipid based) have been explored by pharmaceutical scientists to treat skin fungal infections topically. Vesicular formulation explored for the purpose are liposomes, ethosomes, transfersomes, transethosomes, niosomes, spanlastics, oleic acid vesicles, and nanoparticles. These formulations show various advantages like bioavailability enhancement of bioactives, high skin permeation power, no side effects at application site, dosing frequency reduction, and sustained drug release. Therefore, in the present article, we have discussed about the utility of various vesicular nanocarrier systems to treat skin fungal infections.

Response surface optimization, Ex vivo and In vivo investigation of nasal spanlastics for bioavailability enhancement and brain targeting of risperidone

Transnasal brain drug targeting could ensure better drug delivery to the brain through the olfactory pathway. Risperidone bioavailability is 66% in extensive metabolizers and 82% in slow metabolizers. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of the nanovesicular spanlastics to effectively deliver risperidone through the nasal route to the brain and increase its bioavailability. Spanlastics formulae, composed of span and polyvinyl alcohol, were designed based on central composite statistical design. The planned formulae were prepared using ethanol injection method. The prepared formulae were characterized by testing their particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. The optimized formula having the lowest particle size, polydispersity index, the highest zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency was subjected to further investigations including characterization of its rheological properties, elasticity, transmission electron microscopy, in vitro diffusion, ex vivo permeation, histopathology and in vivo biodistribution. The optimized formula was composed of 5mg/mL span and 30mg/mL polyvinyl alcohol. It showed significantly higher transnasal permeation and better distribution to the brain, when compared to the used control regarding the brain targeting efficiency and the drug transport percentage (2.16 and 1.43 folds increase, respectively). The study introduced a successful and promising formula to directly and effectively carry the drug from nose to brain.