Towards a Continuous Manufacturing Process of Protein-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticle Powders

To develop a scalable and efficient process suitable for the continuous manufacturing of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing ovalbumin as the model protein. PLGA nanoparticles were prepared using a double emulsification spray-drying method. Emulsions were prepared using a focused ultrasound transducer equipped with a flow cell. Either poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or poloxamer 407 (P-407) was used as a stabilizer. Aliquots of the emulsions were blended with different matrix excipients and spray dried, and the yield and size of the resuspended nanoparticles was determined and compared against solvent displacement. Nanoparticle sizes of spray-dried PLGA/PVA emulsions were independent of the matrix excipient and comparable with sizes from the solvent displacement method. The yield of the resuspended nanoparticles was highest for emulsions containing trehalose and leucine (79%). Spray drying of PLGA/P-407 emulsions led to agglomerated nanoparticles independent of the matrix excipient. PLGA/P-407 nanoparticles pre-formed by solvent displacement could be spray dried with limited agglomeration when PVA was added as an additional stabilizer. A comparably high and economically interesting nanoparticle yield could be achieved with a process suitable for continuous manufacturing. Further studies are needed to understand the robustness of a continuous process at commercial scale

Pulmonary Application of Novel Antigen-Loaded Chitosan Nano-Particles Co-Administered with the Mucosal Adjuvant C-Di-AMP Resulted in Enhanced Immune Stimulation and Dose Sparing Capacity

The most successful medical intervention for preventing infectious diseases is still vaccination. This effective strategy has resulted in decreased mortality and extended life expectancy. However, there is still a critical need for novel vaccination strategies and vaccines. Antigen cargo delivery by nanoparticle-based carriers could promote superior protection against constantly emerging viruses and subsequent diseases. This should be sustained by the induction of vigorous cellular and humoral immunity, capable of acting both at the systemic and mucosal levels. Induction of antigen-specific responses at the portal of entry of pathogens is considered an important scientific challenge. Chitosan, which is widely regarded as a biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic material for functionalized nanocarriers, as well as having adjuvant activity, enables antigen administration via less-invasive mucosal routes such as sublingual or pulmonic application route. In this proof of principle study, we evaluate the efficacy of chitosan nanocarriers loaded with the model antigen Ovalbumin (OVA) co-administrated with the STING agonist bis-(3',5')-cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) given by pulmonary route. Here, BALB/c mice were immunized with four doses of the formulation that stimulates enhanced antigen-specific IgG titers in sera. In addition, this vaccine formulation also promotes a strong Th1/Th17 response characterized by high secretion of IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-17, as well as induction of CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the novel formulation exhibited strong dose-sparing capacity, enabling a 90% reduction of the antigen concentration. Altogether, our results suggest that chitosan nanocarriers, in combination with the mucosal adjuvant c-di-AMP, are a promising technology platform for the development of innovative mucosal vaccines against respiratory pathogens (e.g., Influenza or RSV) or for therapeutic vaccines

Focused Ultrasound as a Scalable and Contact-Free Method to Manufacture Protein-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles.

Although nanomaterials are under investigation for a very broad range of medical applications, only a small fraction of these are already commercialized or in clinical development. A major challenge for the translation of nanomedicines into the clinic is the missing scalability of the available lab scale preparation methods and, ultimately, non-identical samples during early and late research

AIMP1/p43 Mutation and PMLD

none4nomixedBiancheri R.; Rossi A.; Zara F.; Filocamo M.Biancheri, R.; Rossi, A.; Zara, F.; Filocamo, M

The gene for leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter is located on chromosome 3q27.

Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM) is an autosomal recessive disorder with normal early development and, usually, childhood-onset neurological deterioration. At present, diagnosis of VWM is based on clinical examination and the results of repeat magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which show that, with time, increasing amounts of the cerebral white matter vanish and are replaced by cerebrospinal fluid. We have performed a genome linkage screening of a panel of 19 families of different ethnic origins. Significant linkage to chromosome 3q27 was observed in a 7-cM interval between markers D3S3730 and D3S3592, with a maximum multipoint LOD score of 5.1 calculated from the entire data set. The results of genealogical studies have suggested that seven parents in four Dutch families with VWM may have inherited an allele for the disease from a common ancestor who lived at least eight generations ago. Analysis of these families provided further evidence for the localization of the gene for VWM to 3q27. The patients shared a haplotype spanning 5 cM between markers D3S1618 and D3S3592. In one family of a different ethnic background, the patient had, in the same region, homozygosity for 13 consecutive markers spanning at least 12 cM, suggesting consanguinity between the parents. A healthy sibling of this patient had the same homozygous haplotype, which suggests that the healthy sibling is presymptomatic for the disease