Boosting antigen-specific T cell activation with lipid-stabilized protein nanoaggregates.

Vaccines based on protein antigens have numerous advantages over inactivated pathogens, including easier manufacturing and improved safety. However, purified antigens are weakly immunogenic, as they lack the spatial organization and the associated 'danger signals' of the pathogen. Formulating vaccines as nanoparticles enhances the recognition by antigen presenting cells, boosting the cell-mediated immune response. This study describes a nano-precipitation method to obtain stable protein nanoaggregates with uniform size distribution without using covalent cross-linkers. Nanoaggregates were formed via microfluidic mixing of ovalbumin (OVA) and lipids in the presence of high methanol concentrations. A purification protocol was set up to separate the nanoaggregates from OVA and liposomes, obtained as byproducts of the mixing. The nanoaggregates were characterized in terms of morphology, ζ-potential and protein content, and their interaction with immune cells was assessed in vitro. Antigen-specific T cell activation was over 6-fold higher for nanoaggregates compared to OVA, due in part to the enhanced uptake by immune cells. Lastly, a two-dose immunization with nanoaggregates in mice induced a significant increase in OVA-specific CD8+ T splenocytes compared to soluble OVA. Overall, this work presents for the first time the microfluidic production of lipid-stabilized protein nanoaggregates and provides a proof-of-concept of their potential for vaccination.

Polyphosphoester-stabilized cubosomes encapsulating a Ru(II) complex for the photodynamic treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

The clinical translation of photosensitizers based on ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) in photodynamic therapy of cancer faces several challenges. To address these limitations, we conducted an investigation to assess the potential of a cubosome formulation stabilized in water against coalescence utilizing a polyphosphoester analog of Pluronic F127 as a stabilizer and loaded with newly synthesized RPC-based photosensitizer [Ru(dppn)2(bpy-morph)](PF6)2 (bpy-morph = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-diylbis(morpholinomethanone)), PS-Ru. The photophysical characterization of PS-Ru revealed its robust capacity to induce the formation of singlet oxygen (1O2). Furthermore, the physicochemical analysis of the PS-Ru-loaded cubosomes dispersion demonstrated that the encapsulation of the photosensitizer within the nanoparticles did not disrupt the three-dimensional arrangement of the lipid bilayer. The biological tests showed that PS-Ru-loaded cubosomes exhibited significant phototoxic activity when exposed to the light source, in stark contrast to empty cubosomes and to the same formulation without irradiation. This promising outcome suggests the potential of the formulation in overcoming the drawbacks associated with the clinical use of RPCs in photodynamic therapy for anticancer treatments.

Matrix metalloproteinase responsive hydrogel microplates for programmed killing of invasive tumour cells.

Interactive materials are an emerging class of systems that can offer control over response and adaptivity in polymer structures towards the meso- and macroscale. Here, we use enzyme regulated cleavage of peptide crosslinkers in polymer hydrogels to release a cytotoxic therapeutic nanoparticle with an adaptable mechanism. Hydrogel microplates were formed through polyethylene glycol/peptide photoinitiated thiol-ene chemistry in a soft-lithography process to give square plates of 20 by 20 µm with a height of 10 µm. The peptide was chosen to be degradable in the presence of matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP-2/9). The hydrogel material's mechanical properties, swelling, and protease degradation were characterised. The microfabricated hydrogels were loaded with docetaxel (DTXL) containing poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles, and characterised for enzyme responsivity, and toxicity to MMP-2/9 overexpressing brain cancer cell line U87-MG. A 5-fold decrease in EC50 was seen compared to free DTXL, and a 20-fold decrease was seen for the MMP responsive microplates versus a non-degradable control microplate. Potential applications of this system in post-resection glioblastoma treatment are envisioned.

Nanosuspension-Based Dissolvable Microneedle Arrays to Enhance Diclofenac Skin Delivery.

Applying a formulation on the skin represents a patient-acceptable and therapeutically effective way to administer drugs locally and systemically. However, the stratum corneum stands as an impermeable barrier that only allows a very limited number of drugs to be distributed in the underlying tissues, limiting the feasibility of this administration route. Microneedle arrays are minimally invasive platforms that allow the delivery of drugs within/across the skin through the temporary mechanical disruption of the stratum corneum. In this work, microneedle arrays were combined with nanosuspensions, a technology for solubility enhancement of water insoluble molecules, for the skin delivery of diclofenac. Nanosuspensions were prepared using a top-down method and loaded in the tips of 500 µm or 800 µm high microneedles. The quality of the combined platform was assessed using electron microscopy and spectroscopic and calorimetry techniques, demonstrating the ability to load high amounts of the hydrophobic drug and the compatibility between excipients. Lastly, the application of nanosuspension-loaded microneedles on the skin in vitro allowed the delivery of diclofenac within and across the stratum corneum, proving the potential of this combination to enhance skin delivery of scarcely soluble drugs.

Needle-Free Jet Injectors and Nanosuspensions: Exploring the Potential of an Unexpected Pair.

Needle-free liquid jet injectors are medical devices used to administer pharmaceutical solutions through the skin. Jet injectors generate a high-speed stream of liquid medication that can puncture the skin and deliver the drug to the underlying tissues. In this work, we investigated the feasibility of using liquid jet injectors to administer nanosuspensions, assessing the impact of the jet injection on their pharmaceutical and physicochemical properties. For this purpose, the model drug diclofenac was used to prepare a set of nanosuspensions, stabilized by poloxamer 188, and equilibrated at different pHs. The hydrodynamic diameter and morphology of the nanocrystals were analyzed before and after the jet injection across porcine skin in vitro, together with the solubility and release kinetics of diclofenac in a simulated subcutaneous environment. The efficacy of the jet injection (i.e., the amount of drug delivered across the skin) was evaluated for the nanosuspension and for a solution, which was used as a control. Finally, the nanosuspension was administered to rats by jet injector, and the plasma profile of diclofenac was evaluated and compared to the one obtained by jet injecting a solution with an equal concentration. The nanosuspension features were maintained after the jet injection in vitro, suggesting that no structural changes occur upon high-speed impact with the skin. Accordingly, in vivo studies demonstrated the feasibility of jet injecting a nanosuspension, reaching relevant plasma concentration of the drug. Overall, needle-free jet injectors proved to be a suitable alternative to conventional syringes for the administration of nanosuspensions.

Boosting the therapeutic efficacy of discoidal nanoconstructs against glioblastoma with rationally designed PEG-Docetaxel conjugates.

Maximizing loading while modulating the release of therapeutic molecules from nanoparticles and implantable drug delivery systems is the key to successfully address deadly diseases like brain cancer. Here, four different conjugates of the potent chemotherapeutic molecule docetaxel (DTXL)were realized to optimize the pharmacological properties of 1,000 × 400 nmDiscoidal PolymericNanoconstructs(DPNs). DTXL was covalently linked to poly-(ethylene) glycol(PEG)chains of different molecular weights, namely 350, 550 and 1,000 Da, and oleic acid (OA). After extensive physico-chemical and pharmacological characterizations, the conjugate PEG550-DTXL showedan optimal compromise between loading and sustained release out of DPNs, as opposed to the insufficient loading of PEG1000-DTXL and PEG350-DTXL and the excessively slow release of OA-DTXL. Not surprisingly, viability tests conducted on U87-MG cells showed a delay in cytotoxic activity for the DTXL conjugates compared to free DTXL within the first 48 h. However, PEG550-DTXL returned an IC50 value of âˆ¼ 10 nMat 72 h, which is comparable to free DTXL.In mice bearing orthotopically implanted U87-MG cells, the intravenous administration of PEG550-DTXL loaded DPNs doubled the overall animal survival (52.5 days) as compared to temozolomide (27 days) and the untreated controls (32 days). Collectively, these results continue to demonstrate that the therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles can be boosted by rationally designing drug conjugates-particle complexes for optimal loading and release profiles.

Preparation of anisotropic multiscale micro-hydrogels via two-photon continuous flow lithography.

HYPOTHESIS: Polymeric anisotropic soft microparticles show interesting behavior in biological environments and hold promise for drug delivery and biomedical applications. However, self-assembly and substrate-based lithographic techniques are limited by low resolution, batch operation or specific particle geometry and deformability. Two-photon polymerization in microfluidic channels may offer the required resolution to continuously fabricate anisotropic micro-hydrogels in sub-10 µm size-range. EXPERIMENTS: Here, a pulsed laser source is used to perform two-photon polymerization under microfluidic flow of a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) solution with the objective of realizing anisotropic micro-hydrogels carrying payloads of various nature, including small molecules and nanoparticles. The fabrication process is described via a reactive-convective-diffusion system of equations, whose solution under proper auxiliary conditions is used to corroborate the experimental observations and sample the configuration space. FINDINGS: By tuning the flow velocity, exposure time and pre-polymer composition, anisotropic PEGDA micro-hydrogels are obtained in the 1-10 µm size-range and exhibit an aspect ratio varying from 1 to 5. Furthermore, 200 nm curcumin-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles and 100 nm ssRNA-encapsulating lipid nanoparticles were entrapped within square PEGDA micro-hydrogels. The proposed approach could support the fabrication of micro-hydrogels of well-defined morphology, stiffness, and surface properties for the sustained release of therapeutic agents.

Design and development of topical liposomal formulations in a regulatory perspective.

The skin is the absorption site for drug substances intended to treat loco-regional diseases, although its barrier properties limit the permeation of drug molecules. The growing knowledge of the skin structure and its physiology have supported the design of innovative nanosystems (e.g. liposomal systems) to improve the absorption of poorly skin-permeable drugs. However, despite the dozens of clinical trials started, few topically applied liposomal systems have been authorized both in the EU and the USA. Indeed, the intrinsic complexity of the topically applied liposomal systems, the higher production costs, the lack of standardized methods and the more stringent guidelines for assessing their benefit/risk balance can be seen as causes of such inefficient translation. The present work aimed to provide an overview of the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical characterization methods that can be applied to topical liposomal systems intended to be marketed as medicinal products, and the current regulatory provisions. The discussion highlights how such methodologies can be relevant for defining the critical quality attributes of the final product, and they can be usefully applied based on the phase of the life cycle of a liposomal product: to guide the formulation studies in the early stages of development, to rationally design preclinical and clinical trials, to support the pharmaceutical quality control system and to sustain post-marketing variations. The provided information can help define harmonized quality standards able to overcome the case-by-case approach currently applied by regulatory agencies in assessing the benefit/risk of the topically applied liposomal systems.

Cytosolic delivery of nucleic acids: The case of ionizable lipid nanoparticles.

Ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the most clinically advanced nano-delivery system for therapeutic nucleic acids. The great effort put in the development of ionizable lipids with increased in vivo potency brought LNPs from the laboratory benches to the FDA approval of patisiran in 2018 and the ongoing clinical trials for mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Despite these success stories, several challenges remain in RNA delivery, including what is known as "endosomal escape." Reaching the cytosol is mandatory for unleashing the therapeutic activity of RNA molecules, as their accumulation in other intracellular compartments would simply result in efficacy loss. In LNPs, the ability of ionizable lipids to form destabilizing non-bilayer structures at acidic pH is recognized as the key for endosomal escape and RNA cytosolic delivery. This is motivating a surge in studies aiming at designing novel ionizable lipids with improved biodegradation and safety profiles. In this work, we describe the journey of RNA-loaded LNPs across multiple intracellular barriers, from the extracellular space to the cytosol. In silico molecular dynamics modeling, in vitro high-resolution microscopy analyses, and in vivo imaging data are systematically reviewed to distill out the regulating mechanisms underlying the endosomal escape of RNA. Finally, a comparison with strategies employed by enveloped viruses to deliver their genetic material into cells is also presented. The combination of a multidisciplinary analytical toolkit for endosomal escape quantification and a nature-inspired design could foster the development of future LNPs with improved cytosolic delivery of nucleic acids.

Nanoliposomes@Transcutol for In Vitro Skin Delivery of 8-Methoxypsoralen.

8-methoxypsoralen is the most common drug in psoralen plus ultraviolet light irradiation therapy for the treatment of severe psoriasis. Despite of the efficacy, its classic oral administration leads to several serious adverse effects. However, the topical psoralen application produces a drug skin accumulation lower than that obtained by oral administration, due to the drug low skin permeability. In this paper, 8-methoxypsoralen loaded Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles were prepared using soy phosphatidylcholine and the penetration enhancer Transcutol® (5% or 10%) and characterized in terms of size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. No statistically significant differences in both size (~135 nm) and encapsulation efficiency (~65%) were found for different Transcutol® concentration. Transdermal delivery study assessed by Franz diffusion cells, showed that the 8-methoxypsoralen mainly accumulated into the stratum corneum. Moreover, after Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles application, the drug recovered in this layer is almost double of that delivered by conventional liposomes, while no significant difference was found from the different Transcutol® concentrations. Finally, biocompatibility checked by an MTT assay, demonstrated that the incubation of human keratinocytes for 24 h with 8-methoxypsoralen loaded Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles did not significantly reduce cell viability.

Drug-Excipients Compatibility Studies in Proniosomal Formulation: A Case Study with Resveratrol.

Proniosomal drug delivery system is one of the advancements in nanotechnology. Similarly to traditional dosage forms, chemical and physical compatibility of proniosomes components with the active ingredient(s) is a key step in the preformulation process of such systems. In this work, the compatibility of resveratrol with selected excipients in the development of proniosomal formulation was investigated by thermal and spectroscopic techniques. To evaluate the drug-excipient compatibility, different techniques such as differential scanning calorimetric study, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study and powder X-ray diffraction were adopted. The results showed that the excipients used in the formulation were compatible with resveratrol.

Nanocrystals as Tool to Enhance Stigmasterol Oral Bioavailability.

Phytosterols are sterols naturally occurring in plant cells and well known for their cholesterollowering activity, as witnessed by the large number of food supplements based on these functional ingredients available on the market. However, the marked hydrophobic character of phytosterols makes their solubility in biological fluids extremely low, with disadvantageous consequences on the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. In this work, we explore the effect of particle size reduction on the water solubility of stigmasterol, one of the most abundant phytosterols, through the formulation of nanocystals. A robust, top-down production process was employed to prepare stigmasterol nanocrystals, subsequently characterized by thermal and spectroscopic techniques. When formulated as nanocrystals, the solubility of stigmasterol in water and in simulated gastro-intestinal fluids was boosted compared to the raw material. The increased solubility of stigmasterol nanocrystals makes such formulation a promising candidate for the development of medicinal/nutraceutical products with enhanced bioavailability.

Delivery of beclomethasone dipropionate nanosuspensions with an electronic cigarette.

The aim of this work was to ascertain the ability of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) to deliver drug nanocrystals through the produced aerosol. A nanocrystal nanosuspension of beclomethasone dipropionate, a synthetic chlorinated corticosteroid diester commonly used by inhalation in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was prepared with a wet media milling technique using Poloxamer 188 as stabilizer. The obtained nanosuspension was thoroughly characterized by different techniques: transmission electron microscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The nanosuspension was then loaded in the cartomizer of the electronic cigarette and the produced aerosol was collected and analysed, confirming the presence of drug nanocrystals. The results of this study suggested the possible alternative use of ENDS as medical device for the delivery of poorly soluble drugs.

Nanosuspensions and Microneedles Roller as a Combined Approach to Enhance Diclofenac Topical Bioavailability.

Topical application of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (DCF) reduces the severity of systemic unwanted effects compared to its oral administration. A number of transdermal formulations are available on the market and routinely used in clinical and home-care settings. However, the amount of DCF delivered across the skin remains limited and often insufficient, thus making the oral route still necessary for achieving sufficient drug concentration at the inflamed site. In attempting to improve the transdermal penetration, we explored the combined use of DCF nanosuspensions with a microneedle roller. Firstly, DCF nanosuspensions were prepared by a top-down media milling method and characterized by spectroscopic, thermal and electron microscopy analyses. Secondly, the pore-forming action of microneedle rollers on skin specimens (ex vivo) was described by imaging at different scales. Finally, DCF nanosuspensions were applied on newborn pig skin (in vitro) in combination with microneedles roller treatment, assessing the DCF penetration and distribution in the different skin layers. The relative contribution of microneedle length, nanosuspension stabilizer and application sequence could be identified by systemically varying these parameters.

Nanocrystals as Effective Delivery Systems of Poorly Water-soluble Natural Molecules.

Natural products are an important source of therapeutically effective compounds throughout the world. Since ancient times, a huge amount of both plant extracts and isolated compounds have been largely employed in treatment and prevention of human disorders and, currently, more than 60% of the world's population trusts on plant medicaments as demonstrated by the increasing quantity of herbal therapeutics in the market. Unfortunately, several promising natural molecules for the treatment of the most diverse ailments are characterized by extremely unfavourable features, such as low water solubility and poor/irregular bioavailability, which hinder their clinical use. To overcome these limitations and to make herbal therapy more effective, different formulative approaches have been employed. Among the different strategies for increasing drug solubility, nanocrystals can be considered one of the most interesting and successful approaches. Drug nanocrystals are nanosized drug particles usually formulated as nanosuspensions, namely submicron dispersions in liquid media where surfactants, polymers, or a mixture of both act as stabilisers. In this review, we described the most significant results and progresses concerning drug nanocrystal formulations for the delivery of natural compounds with a significant pharmacological activity. The text is organized in nine sections, each focusing on a specific poorly water- soluble natural compound (apigenin, quercetin, rutin, curcumin, baicalin and baicalein, hesperetin and hesperidin, resveratrol, lutein, silybin). To foster the clinical translation of these natural nanomedicines, our opinion is that future research should pair the essential pharmacokinetic studies with carefully designed pre-clinical experiments, able to prove the formulation efficacy in relevant animal models in vivo.

Towards long-acting adrenaline for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Production and characterization of a liposomal formulation.

The use of adrenaline in cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a long-standing medical procedure, recommended by several international guidelines. However, its unspecific action on adrenergic receptors and the need for repeated administrations pose serious concerns about its safety, the balance between benefits and risks being still under debate. To address this issue, a sustained release nano-formulation of adrenaline was developed. Adrenaline was encapsulated into PEGylated, anionic liposomes by a pH-driven loading technique. Particular attention was devoted to the prevention of oxidation of adrenaline by optimizing the preparative process and including an optimal amount of antioxidants in the formulation. The vesicles obtained were then characterized for size, zeta-potential, and lamellarity, while their morphology was described by cryo-TEM. The controlled release properties were confirmed by two different in vitro release-testing methods, and the biocompatibility was assayed on human endothelial cells in vitro.

Systemic Administration of Orexin a Loaded Liposomes Potentiates Nucleus Accumbens Shell Dopamine Release by Sucrose Feeding.

Orexin neurons originate in the lateral and dorsomedial hypothalamus and perifornical area and produce two different neuropeptides: orexin A (OxA) and orexin B (OxB), which activate OxR1 and OxR2 receptors. In the lateral hypothalamus (LH) orexin neurons are involved in behavior motivated by natural rewards such as palatable food (sugar, high-fat food) and it has been demonstrated similarly that the orexin signaling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is implicated in the intake of high-fat food. The VTA is an important area involved in reward processing. Given the involvement of nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell dopamine (DA) in motivation for food, we intended to investigate the effect of OxA on the basal and feeding-activated DA transmission in the NAc shell. OxA is a large peptide and does not cross the blood-brain barrier and for this reason was loaded on two kinds of liposomes: anti-transferrin-monoclonal antibodies (OX26-mAb) and lactoferrin-modified stealth liposomes. The effect of IV administration of both OxA liposomes on NAc shell DA was studied by microdialysis in freely moving rats. OxA, administered using both kinds of liposomes, produced a delayed and transitory increase in dialysate DA in the NAc shell, strongly and lastingly potentiated the increase in dialysate DA elicited by sucrose pellet consumption and increased the number of eaten pellets. These effects of OxA on DA transmission and feeding were prevented by the OxR1 antagonist SB 334867. Hence, OxA acting on VTA OxR1 can facilitate sucrose-stimulated NAc shell DA transmission directly by increasing the basal activity of VTA DA neurons that send their projections to the NAc shell.

3-hydroxycoumarin loaded vesicles for recombinant human tyrosinase inhibition in topical applications.

Tyrosinase is one of the key enzymes in mammalian melanin biosynthesis. Decreasing tyrosinase activity has been targeted for the prevention of conditions related to the hyperpigmentation of the skin, such as melasma and age spots. This paper is devoted to the engineering of vesicle formulations loaded with 3-hydroxycoumarin for topical pharmaceutical applications. At first, it was demonstrated the strong inhibiting ability of 3-hydroxycoumarin against recombinant human tyrosinase. Then, such a drug was effectively encapsulated within liquid or gel-like vesicle formulations, both based on monoolein and lauroylcholine chloride. In vitro skin penetration and permeation studies proved these formulations efficiently overcome the barrier represented by the stratum corneum, delivering 3-hydroxycoumarin to the deeper skin layers. The effect of applying for different times the liquid and the gel formulation was also evaluated. Results revealed that application of the gel formulation for 2 h favored the drug accumulation into the skin with low transdermal delivery, thus indicating this combination of administration time and formulation as ideal to locally inhibit tyrosinase activity with minimal systemic absorption. Moreover, when incubated with B16F10 melanoma cells, the liquid vesicle formulations did not show cytotoxic activity.

Dopaminergic neurodegeneration in a rat model of long-term hyperglycemia: preferential degeneration of the nigrostriatal motor pathway.

Epidemiological evidence suggests a correlation between diabetes and age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Hyperglycemia causes oxidative stress in vulnerable tissues such as the brain. We recently demonstrated that elevated levels of glucose lead to the death of dopaminergic neurons in culture through oxidative mechanisms. Considering the lack of literature addressing dopaminergic alterations in diabetes with age, the goal of this study was to characterize the state of 2 critical dopaminergic pathways in the nicotinamide-streptozotocin rat model of long-term hyperglycemia, specifically the nigrostriatal motor pathway and the reward-associated mesocorticolimbic pathway. Neuronal and glial alterations were evaluated 3 and 6 months after hyperglycemia induction, demonstrating preferential degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway complemented by a noticeable astrogliosis and loss of microglial cells throughout aging. Behavioral tests confirmed the existence of motor impairments in hyperglycemic rats that resemble early parkinsonian symptomatology in rats, pensuing from nigrostriatal alterations. These results solidify the relation between hyperglycemia and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration, providing new insight on the higher occurrence of Parkinson's disease in diabetic patients.