Therapeutic delivery systems for rheumatoid arthritis based on hydrogel carriers

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease suffered by millions of people worldwide. It can significantly affect the patient's quality of life by damaging not only the joints but also organs such as the lungs and the heart. RA is normally treated using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and biologics. These active agents often cause side effects and offer low efficacy due to their lack of specificity and limited retention time. In an attempt to improve RA treatments, hydrogel-based systems have been proposed as drug delivery carriers. Due to their exceptional adaptability and biocompatibility, hydrogels have the potential of enhancing the delivery of RA therapy through different administration routes in an efficient and effective manner. In this review, we explore the application of hydrogel systems as potential carriers in RA treatment. Additionally, we discuss recent work in the field and highlight the required hydrogel properties, depending on the administration route. The outstanding potential of hydrogel systems as carriers for RA was demonstrated; however, there is extensive research yet to be done to improve available treatments for RA.

Self-assembled block copolymer biomaterials for oral delivery of protein therapeutics

Protein therapeutics have guided a transformation in disease treatment for various clinical conditions. They have been successful in numerous applications, but administration of protein therapeutics has been limited to parenteral routes which can decrease patient compliance as they are invasive and painful. In recent years, the synergistic relationship of novel biomaterials with modern protein therapeutics has been crucial in the treatment of diseases that were once thought of as incurable. This has guided the development of a variety of alternative administration routes, but the oral delivery of therapeutics remains one of the most desirable due to its ease of administration. This review addresses important aspects of micellar structures prepared by self-assembled processes with applications for oral delivery. These two characteristics have not been placed together in previous literature within the field. Therefore, we describe the barriers for delivery of protein therapeutics, and we concentrate in the oral/transmucosal pathway where drug carriers must overcome several chemical, physical, and biological barriers to achieve a successful therapeutic effect. We critically discuss recent research on biomaterials systems for delivering such therapeutics with an emphasis on self-assembled synthetic block copolymers. Polymerization methods and nanoparticle preparation techniques are similarly analyzed as well as relevant work in this area. Based on our own and others' research, we analyze the use of block copolymers as therapeutic carriers and their promise in treating a variety of diseases, with emphasis on self-assembled micelles for the next generation of oral protein therapeutic systems.

Stimuli-responsive self-assembled polymer nanoparticles for the oral delivery of antibodies

Currently, commercially available antibody therapies must be delivered via parenteral administration. Oral delivery of antibodies could increase patient compliance and improve quality of life, however there is currently no viable system for delivering antibodies orally. In this work, a self-assembled, pH-responsive nanoparticle delivery system was developed to load and deliver antibodies via the oral route. The nanoparticles were synthesized via nanoprecipitation using the pH-responsive copolymers based on poly(methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(ethylene glycol). The reversibly hydrophobic nature of this polymer allowed it to function as an antibody delivery system via self-assembly. Characteristics of the polymer, including monomer ratios and molecular weight, as well as parameters of the nanoprecipitation process were optimized using Design of Experiments to achieve nanoparticles with desired size, polydispersity, loading efficiency, and release characteristics. Ultimately, the synthesized and optimized nanoparticles exhibited a hydrodynamic size within a range that avoids premature clearance, a low polydispersity index, and high IgG loading efficiency. In in vitro antibody release studies at physiologically relevant pH values, the nanoparticles exhibit promising release profiles. The nanoparticles presented in this work show potential as oral delivery vehicles for therapeutic antibodies.

Stereolithography apparatus and digital light processing-based 3D bioprinting for tissue fabrication

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a class of promising techniques in biomedical research for a wide range of related applications. Specifically, stereolithography apparatus (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP)-based vat-polymerization techniques are highly effective methods of bioprinting, which can be used to produce high-resolution and architecturally sophisticated structures. Our review aims to provide an overview of SLA- and DLP-based 3D bioprinting strategies, starting from factors that affect these bioprinting processes. In addition, we summarize the advances in bioinks used in SLA and DLP, including naturally derived and synthetic bioinks. Finally, the biomedical applications of both SLA- and DLP-based bioprinting are discussed, primarily centered on regenerative medicine and tissue modeling engineering.

Efficient and reproducible synthesis of an Fmoc-protected Tn antigen

Glycoconjugate ready for solid-phase-peptide synthesis is scalably accessible using a palladium-mediated glycosylation.