An insight into the polymeric nanoparticles applications in diabetes diagnosis and treatment

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a type of chronic metabolic disease that has affected millions of people worldwide and is known with a defect in the amount of insulin secretion, insulin functions, or both. This deficiency leads to an increase in the amounts of glucose, which could be accompanied by long-term damages to other organs such as eyes, kidneys, heart, and nervous system. Thus, introducing an appropriate approach for diagnosis and treatment of different types of DM is the aim of several researches. By the emergence of nanotechnology and its application in medicine, new approaches were presented for these purposes. The object of this review article is to introduce different types of polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), as one of the most important classes of nanoparticles, for diabetic management. To achieve this goal, at first, some of the conventional therapeutic and diagnostic methods of DM will be reviewed. Then, different types of PNPs, in two forms of natural and synthetic polymers with different properties, as a new method for DM treatment and diagnosis will be introduced. In the next section, the transport mechanisms of these types of nano-carriers across the epithelium, via paracellular and transcellular pathways will be explained. Finally, the clinical use of PNPs in the treatment and diagnosis of DM will be summarized. Based on the results of this literature review, PNPs could be considered one of the most promising methods for DM management

Bioconjugated materials: preparation, characterization and therapeutic applications

Currently, pharmaceutical research introduces bioconjugated structures along with nanoparticulate carrier technologies to overcome several limitations associated with existing drug delivery systems. Bioconjugation is a beneficial alternative to nanoparticle-based delivery systems in most cases due to its simple and generally one-step active ingredient conjugation processes and targeting abilities. In its simple description, bioconjugation involves the covalent attachment of two molecules to create a complex in which at least one of the molecules is a biomolecule, a derivative, or a fragment of a biomolecule. The conjugation process usually is done easily and, in most cases, controllable to form novel and useful complexes with multi-functions and preferred features. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), aptamer−drug conjugates (ApDCs), and polymer-drug conjugates are among the most important bioconjugated structures with important therapeutic applications in the treatment of cancer. Conjugation aims to deliver toxic therapeutics to the intended cancerous cells with high efficacy while protecting healthy cells from the side effects of toxicity. This chapter presents an overview of the application of conjugated materials in therapeutics, drug delivery, and controlled release studies. First, bioconjugated structures and building blocks, processes, and reactions to prepare these materials, using representative examples, will be discussed. After a detailed description of synthesized bioconjugates' purification and characterization steps, we will focus on the precise structure of materials used in drug conjugation and drug release studies in the treatment of several disease including cancer

Optimization of curcumin loaded niosomes for drug delivery applications

Controlled drug delivery is an important and challenging issue in pharmacology. The aim is to improve efficacy and reduce the side effects of drugs. Nanotechnology suggests applying various nanoparticles as carriers to overcome drug delivery limitations. The current study introduces an optimum formulation of niosomes to carry and deliver curcumin (CUR) as a hydrophobic drug to cancerous cells. In spite of numerous pharmacological properties of this natural polyphenolic compound, including anti-microbial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, it suffers from poor stability and solubility. This work studies the optimum formulation for CUR-loaded niosome and investigates its stability based on hydrodynamic size and zeta-potential measurements. The optimum blank noisome, formulated according to a three-level Box–Behnken design, was used to load CUR as an anticancer drug. The fabricated niosomes (blank/loaded) were characterized by dynamic light scattering, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Prepared particles showed stability at 4 °C for up to two months. In addition, particles were durable against temperature changes from 5° to 40°C. Drug-loaded niosomes reached 99.8% drug entrapment efficiency and up to 68.33% loading capacity. Sustained-release behaviour was observed in CUR-loaded niosomes up to 25.49 ± 0.70% of CUR during 336 h. Based on cytotoxicity studies, blank niosome showed no significant toxicity effect on cells at high concentrations and after 72 h, confirming cytocompatibility of the particles. CUR-loaded niosomes had dose-dependent toxicity against cancerous cells. The concentration of 200 µg/ml of the drug-loaded carrier, containing 66.75 µg CUR, showed an IC50 effect after 48 h of exposure to cells

Material and design toolkit for drug delivery: state of the art, trends, and challenges

The nanomaterial and related toolkit have promising applications for improving human health and well-being. Nanobased drug delivery systems use nanoscale materials as carriers to deliver therapeutic agents in a targeted and controlled manner, and they have shown potential to address issues associated with conventional drug delivery systems. They offer benefits for treating various illnesses by encapsulating or conjugating biological agents, chemotherapeutic drugs, and immunotherapeutic agents. The potential applications of this technology are vast; however, significant challenges exist to overcome such as safety issues, toxicity, efficacy, and insufficient capacity. This article discusses the latest developments in drug delivery systems, including drug release mechanisms, material toolkits, related design molecules, and parameters. The concluding section examines the limitations and provides insights into future possibilities

Niosomal drug delivery systems for ocular disease-recent advances and future prospects

The eye is a complex organ consisting of several protective barriers and particular defense mechanisms. Since this organ is exposed to various infections, genetic disorders, and visual impairments it is essential to provide necessary drugs through the appropriate delivery routes and vehicles. The topical route of administration, as the most commonly used approach, maybe inefficient due to low drug bioavailability. New generation safe, effective, and targeted drug delivery systems based on nanocarriers have the capability to circumvent limitations associated with the complex anatomy of the eye. Nanotechnology, through various nanoparticles like niosomes, liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, and different polymeric vesicles play an active role in ophthalmology and ocular drug delivery systems. Niosomes, which are nano-vesicles composed of non-ionic surfactants, are emerging nanocarriers in drug delivery applications due to their solution/storage stability and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, they are biocompatible, biodegradable, flexible in structure, and suitable for loading both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. These characteristics make niosomes promising nanocarriers in the treatment of ocular diseases. Hereby, we review niosome based drug delivery approaches in ophthalmology starting with different preparation methods of niosomes, drug loading/release mechanisms, characterization techniques of niosome nanocarriers and eventually successful applications in the treatment of ocular disorders

Niosomal Drug Delivery Systems for Ocular Disease—Recent Advances and Future Prospects

The eye is a complex organ consisting of several protective barriers and particular defense mechanisms. Since this organ is exposed to various infections, genetic disorders, and visual impairments it is essential to provide necessary drugs through the appropriate delivery routes and vehicles. The topical route of administration, as the most commonly used approach, maybe inefficient due to low drug bioavailability. New generation safe, effective, and targeted drug delivery systems based on nanocarriers have the capability to circumvent limitations associated with the complex anatomy of the eye. Nanotechnology, through various nanoparticles like niosomes, liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, and different polymeric vesicles play an active role in ophthalmology and ocular drug delivery systems. Niosomes, which are nano-vesicles composed of non-ionic surfactants, are emerging nanocarriers in drug delivery applications due to their solution/storage stability and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, they are biocompatible, biodegradable, flexible in structure, and suitable for loading both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. These characteristics make niosomes promising nanocarriers in the treatment of ocular diseases. Hereby, we review niosome based drug delivery approaches in ophthalmology starting with different preparation methods of niosomes, drug loading/release mechanisms, characterization techniques of niosome nanocarriers and eventually successful applications in the treatment of ocular disorders

Fabrication of a Dual-Drug-Loaded Smart Niosome-g-Chitosan Polymeric Platform for Lung Cancer Treatment

Changes in weather conditions and lifestyle lead to an annual increase in the amount of lung cancer, and therefore it is one of the three most common types of cancer, making it important to find an appropriate treatment method. This research aims to introduce a new smart nano-drug delivery system with antibacterial and anticancer capabilities that could be applied for the treatment of lung cancer. It is composed of a niosomal carrier containing curcumin as an anticancer drug and is coated with a chitosan polymeric shell, alongside Rose Bengal (RB) as a photosensitizer with an antibacterial feature. The characterization results confirmed the successful fabrication of lipid-polymeric carriers with a size of nearly 80 nm and encapsulation efficiency of about 97% and 98% for curcumin and RB, respectively. It had the Korsmeyer–Peppas release pattern model with pH and temperature responsivity so that nearly 60% and 35% of RB and curcumin were released at 37 °C and pH 5.5. Moreover, it showed nearly 50% toxicity against lung cancer cells over 72 h and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Accordingly, this nanoformulation could be considered a candidate for the treatment of lung cancer; however, in vivo studies are needed for better confirmation