Polyelectrolyte complex micelles by self-assembly of polypeptide-based triblock copolymer for doxorubicin delivery

AbstractPolyelectrolyte complex micelles were prepared by self-assembly of polypeptide-based triblock copolymer as a new drug carrier for cancer chemotherapy. The triblock copolymer, poly(l-aspartic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-aspartic acid) (PLD-b-PEG-b-PLD), spontaneously self-assembled with doxorubicin (DOX) via electrostatic interactions to form spherical micelles with a particle size of 60–80 nm (triblock ionomer complexes micelles, TBIC micelles). These micelles exhibited a high loading capacity of 70% (w/w) at a drug/polymer ratio of 0.5 at pH 7.0. They showed pH-responsive release patterns, with higher release at acidic pH than at physiological pH. Furthermore, DOX-loaded TBIC micelles exerted less cytotoxicity than free DOX in the A-549 human lung cancer cell line. Confocal microscopy in A-549 cells indicated that DOX-loaded TBIC micelles were transported into lysosomes via endocytosis. These micelles possessed favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics and showed sustained DOX release in rats. Overall, these findings indicate that PLD-b-PEG-b-PLD polypeptide micelles are a promising approach for anti-cancer drug delivery

A Novel Self-Assembled Liposome-Based Polymeric Hydrogel for Cranio-Maxillofacial Applications: Preliminary Findings

Soft nanogels are submicron-sized hydrophilic structures engineered from biocompatible polymers possessing the characteristics of nanoparticles as well as hydrogels, with a wide array of potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine, namely, drug and protein delivery. In this work, nanogels were obtained using the physical self-assembly technique or ‘layer-by-layer’ which is based on electrostatic interactions. Liposomal vesicles were coated with alternating layers of hyaluronic acid and chitosan yielding a more viscous hydrogel formulation that previously reported core-shell nanoparticulate suspension, via simply modifying the physico-chemical characteristics of the system. Structural features, size, surface charge, stability and swelling characteristics of the nanogel were studied using scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. With a specific cranio-maxillofacial application in mind, the hydrogel was loaded with recombinant human (rh) bone morphogenetic protein-7, also known as osteogenic protein-1 or rhOP-1 and release was monitored over an extended period of 60 days. This preliminary study reports promising results on the formulation of a novel core-shell polymeric nanogel

Cationic drug-based self-assembled polyelectrolyte complex micelles Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and anticancer activity analysis.pdf

<div><p>Nanofabrication of polymeric micelles through self-assembly of an ionic block copolymer and oppositely charged small molecules has recently emerged as a promising method of formulating delivery systems. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the interaction of cationic drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and mitoxantrone (MTX) with the anionic block polymer poly(ethylene oxide)-<em>block</em>-poly(acrylic acid) (PEO-<em>b</em>-PAA) and to study the influence of these interactions on the pharmacokinetic stability and antitumor potential of the formulated micelles in clinically relevant animal models. To this end, individual DOX and MTX-loaded polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCM) were prepared, and their physicochemical properties and pH-responsive release profiles were studied. MTX-PCM and DOX-PCM exhibited a different release profile under all pH conditions tested. MTX-PCM exhibited a monophasic release profile with no initial burst, while DOX-PCM exhibited a biphasic release. DOX-PCM showed a higher cellular uptake than that shown by MTX-PCM in A-549 cancer cells. Furthermore, DOX-PCM induced higher apoptosis of cancer cells than that induced by MTX-PCM. Importantly, both MTX-PCM and DOX-PCM showed prolonged blood circulation. MTX-PCM improved the AUC<em>_all</em> of MTX 4-fold compared to a 3-fold increase by DOX-PCM for DOX. While a definite difference in blood circulation was observed between MTX-PCM and DOX-PCM in the pharmacokinetic study, both MTX-PCM and DOX-PCM suppressed tumor growth to the same level as the respective free drugs, indicating the potential of PEGylated polymeric micelles as effective delivery systems. Taken together, our results show that the nature of interactions of cationic drugs with the polyionic copolymer can have a tremendous influence on the biological performance of a delivery system.</p><div><br></div></div

Formulation and evaluation of xanthan gum based aceclofenac tablets for colon targeted drug delivery

The objective of the present study is to develop a colon targeted drug delivery systems for Aceclofenac using xanthan gum as a carrier. In this study, multilayer coated system that is resistant to gastric and small intestinal conditions but can be easily degraded by colonic bacterial enzymes was designed to achieve effective colon delivery of Aceclofenac. The xanthan gum, the drug and the physical mixture were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All the formulations were evaluated for hardness, drug content uniformity and other physical properties. Release aspects of Aceclofenac in simulated gastrointestinal fluid and colonic fluid with enzymes were investigated. From these results, Eudragit coated system exhibited gastric and small intestinal resistance to the release of Aceclofenac. The rapid increase in release of Aceclofenac in SCF was revealed as due to the degradation of the xanthan gum membrane by bacterial enzymes. The designed system could be used potentially as a carrier for colon delivery of Aceclofenac by regulating drug release in stomach and the small intestine.<br>O presente estudo teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de sistema de liberação cólon-alvo de aceclofenaco empregando goma xantana. Nesse trabalho, o revestimento de múltiplas camadas com característica de resistência às condições do intestino delgado além de gastrorresistência oferece como vantagem a rápida degradação desse sistema por enzimas bacterianas colônicas. Dessa forma, o planejamento de tal sistema possibilitou a liberação específica do aceclofenaco no cólon. A goma xantana e o fármaco, além da mistura física desses dois componentes, foram caracterizados por espectroscopia no infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR) e calorimetria diferencial exploratória (DSC). Todas as formulações foram avaliadas no que se refere à dureza, à uniformidade de conteúdo do fármaco além de outras propriedades físicas. Os perfis de liberação do aceclofenaco no fluido gástrico simulado e fluido colônico simulado contendo enzimas foram investigados. Os resultados revelaram que o sistema revestido com Eudragit® exibiu resistência gástrica e intestinal à liberação de aceclofenaco. O rápido aumento na liberação de aceclofenaco no fluido colônico simulado foi atribuido à degradação da goma xantana por enzimas bacterianas. O sistema apresenta aplicação potencial no desenvolvimento de produtos para a liberação cólon-alvo de aceclofenaco

STAT3 decoy oligonucleotide-carrying microbubbles with pulsed ultrasound for enhanced therapeutic effect in head and neck tumors.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) is an oncogenic transcription factor implicated in carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and drug resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A decoy oligonucleotide targeting STAT3 offers a promising anti-tumor strategy, but achieving targeted tumor delivery of the decoy with systemic administration poses a significant challenge. We previously showed the potential for STAT3 decoy-loaded microbubbles, in conjunction with ultrasound targeted microbubble cavitation (UTMC), to decrease tumor growth in murine squamous cell carcinoma. As a next step towards clinical translation, we sought to determine the anti-tumor efficacy of our STAT3 decoy delivery platform against human HNSCC and the effect of higher STAT3 decoy microbubble loading on tumor cell inhibition. STAT3 decoy was loaded on cationic lipid microbubbles (STAT3-MB) or loaded on liposome-conjugated lipid microbubbles to form STAT3-loaded liposome-microbubble complexes (STAT3-LPX). UTMC treatment efficacy with these two formulations was evaluated in vitro using viability and apoptosis assays in CAL33 (human HNSCC) cells. Anti-cancer efficacy in vivo was performed in a CAL33 tumor murine xenograft model. UTMC with STAT3-MB caused significantly lower CAL33 cell viability compared to UTMC with STAT3-LPX (56.8±8.4% vs 84.5±8.8%, respectively, p&lt;0.05). In vivo, UTMC with STAT3-MB had strong anti-tumor effects, with significantly less tumor burden and greater survival compared to that of UTMC with microbubbles loaded with a mutant control decoy and untreated control groups (p&lt;0.05). UTMC with STAT3 decoy-loaded microbubbles significantly decreases human HNSSC tumor progression. These data set the stage for clinical translation of our microbubble platform as an imaged-guided, targeted delivery strategy for STAT3 decoy, or other nucleotide-based therapeutics, in human cancer treatment

Preparation and characterization of spray-dried gelatin microspheres encapsulating ganciclovir

The aim of this study was to prepare ganciclovir (GCV)-loaded cross-linked gelatin microspheres by spray-drying method. The microspheres were characterized in terms of particle size, surface morphology, loading efficiency, thermal behavior, physical characteristics, swelling properties, and the release profile in vitro. The major process and formulation parameters were optimized to obtain smaller particles with high loading capacity. The physical state examination confirmed the molecular-level dispersion of drug in the polymer. The loading efficiency determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was around 68%. The in vitro release experiments revealed that the GCV released from the gelatin microspheres was related to the extent of swelling, which was proportional to the drug-to-polymer ratio. These results suggest that cross-linked gelatin microspheres could be a suitable drug-delivery system for GCV. [Figure not available: see fulltext.