A NANOPARTICULATE DRUG-DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR RIVASTIGMINE: PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND IN VITRO BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION

The preparation and characterization of surface-PE Gylated polymeric nanoparticles are described. These systems were obtained by UV irradiation of PHM and PHM-PEG(2000) as an inverse microemulsion, using an aqueous solution of the PHM/PHM-PEG(2000) copolymer mixture as the internal phase and triacetin saturated with water as the external phase, and characterized by dimensional analysis, zeta-potential measurements and XPS. in vitro biological tests demonstrated their cell compatibility and their ability to escape from phagocytosis. Rivastigmine was encapsulated into the nanoparticle structure and drug-release profiles from loaded samples were investigated in PBS at pH = 7.4 and human plasma.

Nanostructured formulations for the delivery of silibinin and other active ingredients for treating ocular diseases

Folate-targeted gold nanorods for effective combined photothermal-chemotherapy of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of bone. The annual incidence of osteosarcoma is 8-11 per million in the age group of 15-19 years. Despite its rarity, it has been reported to be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and young adults. In particular with regard to OS therapy, a variety of nanostructures have been exploited in the areas of OS imaging. Among them, Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have unique optical and chemical-physical properties that make them appealing for biomedical applications such as photothermal therapy, drug delivery and imaging of solid tumors. The noble metal core is biologically inert, contributing to low toxicity and go…

Folate-mediated targeting of polymeric conjugates of gemcitabine.

The synthesis of two new macromolecular prodrugs for active tumor targeting was set up. Gemcitabine (2'-deoxy-2',2'-difluorocytidine) was conjugated to alpha,beta-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) through succinyl or diglycolyl hydrolysable spacers. The targeting agent folic acid was attached to the macromolecular backbone through the aminocaproic spacer. The two conjugates [PHEA-(5'-succinylgemcitabine)-1'-carboxypentyl-folamide and PHEA-(5'-diglycolyl-gemcitabine)-1'-carboxypentyl-folamide], were purified and extensively characterised by spectroscopic (UV, IR and NMR) and chromatographic analyses to determine the correct chemical structure, the purity degree and the reaction yi…