Lactose-Appended Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrin Lowers Cholesterol Accumulation and Alleviates Motor Dysfunction in Niemann-Pick Type C Disease Model Mice.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is characterized by the accumulation of glycolipids such as free cholesterol, sphingomyelin, and gangliosides in late endosomes/lysosomes (endolysosomes) due to abnormalities in the membrane proteins NPC1 or NPC2. The main symptoms of NPC caused by free cholesterol accumulation in various tissues vary depending on the time of onset, but hepatosplenomegaly and neurological symptoms accompanied by decreased motor, cognitive, and mental functions are observed in all age groups. However, the efficacy of NPC treatment remains limited. Herein, we have fabricated lactose-appended hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (Lac-HPßCD) and evaluated its lowering effects on cholesterol accumulation in NPC model mice. We reveal that Lac-HPßCD lowers cholesterol accumulation in the liver and spleen by reducing the amount of free cholesterol. Moreover, Lac-HPßCD reduces the amount of free cholesterol in the cerebrum and slightly alleviates motor dysfunction. These results suggest that Lac-HPßCD has potential for the treatment of NPC.

Lactose-appended ß-cyclodextrin as an effective nanocarrier for brain delivery.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the permeability of drugs into the brain, and as such limits the management of various brain diseases. To overcome this barrier, drug-encapsulating nanoparticles or vesicles, drug conjugates, and other types of drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been developed. However, the brain-targeting ability of nanoparticles or vesicles is still insufficient. Recently, among the various brain-targeting ligands previously studied for facilitating transcellular BBB transport, several sugar-appended nanocarriers for brain delivery were identified. Meanwhile, cyclodextrins (CyDs) have been used as nanocarriers for drug delivery since they can encapsulate hydrophobic compounds with high biocompatibility. Therefore, in this study, we created various sugar-appended ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CyDs) to discover novel brain-targeting ligands. As a result, of the six sugar-appended CyDs, lactose-appended ß-CyD (Lac-ß-CyD) showed greater cellular uptake in hCMEC/D3 cells, human brain microvascular endothelial cells, than other sugar-appended ß-CyDs did. In addition, the permeability of Lac-ß-CyD within the in vitro human BBB model was greater than that of other sugar-appended ß-CyDs. Moreover, Lac-ß-CyD significantly accumulated in the mouse brain after intravenous administration. Thus, Lac-ß-CyD efficiently facilitated the accumulation of the model drug into the mouse brain. These findings suggest that Lac-ß-CyD has the potential to be a novel carrier for drugs across the BBB.

Efficacy of SPK-843, a novel polyene antifungal, in a murine model of systemic cryptococcosis.

SPK-843, a new polyene antifungal, possessed efficacy in a murine model of systemic infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The administration of 4.0 mg/kg SPK-843 led to better survival prolongation and fungal reduction than those observed with the administration of 0.7 mg/kg amphotericin B and 80 mg/kg fluconazole (P < 0.001), without histopathological renal changes.

Efficacy of SPK-843, a novel polyene antifungal, in comparison with amphotericin B, liposomal amphotericin B, and micafungin against murine pulmonary aspergillosis.

SPK-843, a new polyene antifungal, exhibited dose-dependent efficacy on murine pulmonary aspergillosis models. SPK-843 doses of higher than 1.0 mg/kg of body weight exhibited no renal toxicities and a tendency toward better survival prolongation than the estimated maximum tolerated doses of amphotericin B (Fungizone) (1.0 mg/kg) and liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) (8.0 mg/kg).