Advanced drug delivery approaches against periodontitis

Abstract

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of gums involving the degeneration of periodontal ligaments, creation of periodontal pocket and resorption of alveolar bone, resulting in the disruption of the support structure of teeth. According to WHO, 10–15% of the global population suffers from severe periodontitis. The disease results from the growth of a diverse microflora (especially anaerobes) in the pockets and release of toxins, enzymes and stimulation of body’s immune response. Various local or systemic approaches were used for an effective treatment of periodontitis. Currently, controlled local drug delivery approach is more favorable as compared to systemic approach because it mainly focuses on improving the therapeutic outcomes by achieving factors like site-specific delivery, low dose requirement, bypass of first-pass metabolism, reduction in gastrointestinal side effects and decrease in dosing frequency. Overall it provides a safe and effective mode of treatment, which enhances patient compliance. Complete eradication of the organisms from the sites was not achieved by using various surgical and mechanical treatments. So a number of polymer-based delivery systems like fibers, films, chips, strips, microparticles, nanoparticles and nanofibers made from a variety of natural and synthetic materials have been successfully tested to deliver a variety of drugs. These systems are biocompatible and biodegradable, completely fill the pockets, and have strong retention on the target site due to excellent mucoadhesion properties. The review summarizes various available and recently developing targeted delivery devices for the treatment of periodontitis.     

Cell-derived biomimetic nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy: cell membranes and extracellular vesicles

Nanotechnology provides synthetic carriers for cancer drug delivery that protect cargos from degradation, control drug release and increase local accumulation at tumors. However, these non-natural vehicles display poor tumor targeting and potential toxicity and are eliminated by the immune system. Recently, biomimetic nanocarriers have been widely developed based on the concept of ‘mimicking nature.’ Among them, cell-derived biomimetic vehicles have become the focus of bionics research because of their multiple natural functions, such as low immunogenicity, long circulation time and targeting ability. Cell membrane-coated carriers and extracellular vesicles are two widely used cell-based biomimetic materials. Here, this review summarizes the latest progress in the application of these two biomimetic carriers in targeted cancer therapy. Their properties and performance are compared, and their future challenges and development prospects are discussed.     

Hydrophobic ion pairing as a strategy to improve drug encapsulation into lipid nanocarriers for the cancer treatment

Introduction: Incorporation of anticancer drugs with low lipophilicity in lipid nanocarriers is usually low, which limits the utilization of this strategy in cancer therapy. However, the complexation of these drugs with lipophilic ion pairs containing ionizable groups has been reported to improve their incorporation in nanocarriers such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLCs), and nanoemulsions (NEs). Therefore, those nanocarriers have shown an increase in efficacy and lower toxicity compared with the free drugs, particularly if the counter ion utilized has anticancer activity.

Areas covered: This review covers, from 1999 to the present, the utilization of the hydrophobic ion pair (HIP) approach to enhance the encapsulation of anticancer drugs in lipid nanostructured delivery systems, SLN, NLC, and NE; the benefits achieved; and challenges to improve the anticancer therapy.

Expert opinion: The HIP strategy has consistently demonstrated enhancement of the encapsulation efficiency in NLCs associated with increased anticancer activity of drugs such as doxorubicin, all-trans retinoic acid, methotrexate, vincristine and others. From this point on, conducting further physicochemical characterization studies of the formed ion pair as well as proceeding with the in vivo efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics studies are expected.     

聚合物囊泡的稳定性及H+透膜特性考察

目的 以嵌段聚合物制备聚合物囊泡并考察其稳定性，测定聚合物囊泡膜层的H⁺跨膜渗透特性，及1,4-二氧六环对膜渗透性能的影响，作为聚合物囊泡载药的基础。方法 以二嵌段共聚物PEG-PLGA在溶液中自组装制备聚合物囊泡，采用pH敏感荧光探针HPTS对囊泡的H⁺透膜特性进行考察，并与PBD-b-PEO、PS-b-PEO制备的囊泡及脂质体进行比较。考察不同浓度的1,4-二氧六环对聚合物囊泡膜渗透特性的作用。结果 HPTS的荧光激发光谱有pH依赖性，囊泡外水相中H⁺浓度与t^1/2呈线性相关，不同膜壁厚度的聚合物囊泡的膜渗透能力有显著区别。3种聚合物囊泡对比脂质体，H⁺透膜系数分别降低了2.39×10⁴ 、3.38×10⁴、5.48×10⁸倍。1,4-二氧六环对囊泡膜的渗透性具有调节作用，且存在浓度依赖关系。结论 聚合物囊泡的膜渗透显著低于脂质体，稳定性更好，1,4-二氧六环可调节囊泡膜的渗透性，从而调节药物的装载和释放。     

New strategies to deliver anticancer drugs to brain tumors

Background: Malignant brain tumors are among the most challenging to treat and at present there are no uniformly successful treatment strategies. Standard treatment regimens consist of maximal surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The limited survival advantage attributed to chemotherapy is partially due to low CNS penetration of antineoplastic agents across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Objective: The objective of this paper is to review recent approaches to delivering anticancer drugs into primary brain tumors. Methods: Both preclinical and clinical strategies to circumvent the BBB are considered that include chemical modification and colloidal carriers. Conclusion: Analysis of the available data indicates that new approaches may be useful for CNS delivery, yet an appreciation of pharmacokinetic issues and improved knowledge of tumor biology will be needed to affect significantly drug delivery to the target site.     

TAT介导的几种纳米药物载体的研究概况

TAT是一种应用最早且现今最为常用的细胞穿膜肽,已经成功与多种纳米载体如脂质体、胶束、纳米粒等连结形成可内化进入细胞内的载药体系。文章主要对TAT介导的几种纳米载药体系的穿透机制、体内外抗肿瘤活性及靶向病变部位能力等方面的研究进行综述,同时对微环境pH敏感的TAT靶向药物载体的研究进展作了简单介绍。     

Tumor delivery of macromolecular drugs based on the EPR effect

Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is the physiology-based principal mechanism of tumor accumulation of large molecules and small particles. This specific issue of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews is summing up multiple data on the EPR effect-based drug design and clinical outcome. In this commentary, the role of the EPR effect in the intratumoral delivery of protein and peptide drugs, macromolecular drugs and drug-loaded long-circulating pharmaceutical nanocarriers is briefly discussed together with some additional opportunities for drug delivery arising from the initial EPR effect-mediated accumulation of drug-containing macromolecular systems in tumors.     

Nanocarriers

The use of nanoparticulate pharmaceutical carriers to enhance the in vivo efficiency of many drugs well established itself over the past decade both in pharmaceutical research and clinical setting. The current level of engineering pharmaceutical nanocarriers in some cases allows for drug delivery systems (DDS) to demonstrate a combination of some desired properties. However, looking into the future of the field of drug delivery, we have to think about the development of the next generation of pharmaceutical nanocarriers combining different properties and allowing for multiple functions.     

Development of nanoparticulate systems with action in breast and ovarian cancer: nanotheragnostics

Abstract

The use of nanoparticulate systems with action in breast and ovarian cancer has been highlighted in recent years as an alternative to increasing the therapeutic index of conventional anticancer drugs. Thus, nanoparticles have advantageous characteristics in the treatment of cancer. Several nanocarriers of drugs and nanoparticles are described in the literature. The pharmacokinetics of the drugs can be modified by the use of nanocarriers, which in turn facilitate the specific delivery of the drug to the tumour cell. Therefore, the present work is a review that examines some nanosystems with nanoparticles for action in the treatment of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.     

Role of CD44 in tumour progression and strategies for targeting

CD44 or hyaluronan receptor is a transmembrane receptor associated with aggressive tumour growth, proliferation, and metastasis. In normal physiology, this receptor has a crucial role in cell adhesion, inflammation, and repair processes. However, many tumour cells over-express this receptor and abuse it to become progressive and perpetual units. The article comments from common functioning of the CD44 receptor, to its diabolic multi-dimensional effects in promotion of malignant cells. It also illuminates the relations of CD44 endorsed processes with other biomolecular events in cancer progression. In an end, the review focuses comprehensively at ongoing researches to exploit the CD44 over-expression as a probable target in treatment, management, and diagnosis of malignancy.