Search results for "drug delivery."

Nanocarriers for respiratory diseases treatment: Recent advances and current challenges

2014

Pulmonary delivery of locally-acting drugs encapsulated in nanocarriers provides several advantages for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis and lung cancer. These advantages include, among others, sustained drug delivery to the lungs, reduced therapeutic dose and improved patient compliance. The aim of this review is to give an updated overview on recent advances recorded in the last few years in this field as well as on the major challenges still existing and that remain to be overcome before any clinical application. After an outline on the cellular and extracellular barriers affecting drug delivery to…

Electrospinning of α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide-graft-polylactic acid to produce a fibrillar scaffold

2010

Abstract α,β-Poly( N -2-hydroxyethyl)- dl -aspartamide grafted with polylactic acid (PHEA- g -PLA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable amphiphilic copolymer that has been already employed to prepare a drug delivery system. In this study we have prepared for the first time a fibrillar scaffold from PHEA- g -PLA by the electrospinning of a solution of this copolymer in a mixture of N , N -dimethyl formamide (DMF) and acetone (80:20 vol/vol). The average diameter and the morphology of electrospun fibers were detected by scanning electron microscopy. Chemical degradation studies in phosphate buffer solution pH 7.4 have been performed until 15 days in order to obtain a preliminary information a…

The Antiviral Activity of Bacterial, Fungal, and Algal Polysaccharides as Bioactive Ingredients: Potential Uses for Enhancing Immune Systems and Prev…

2021

Viral infections may cause serious human diseases. For instance, the recent appearance of the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19, has spread globally and is a serious public health concern. The consumption of healthy, proper, functional, and nutrient-rich foods has an important role in enhancing an individual's immune system and preventing viral infections. Several polysaccharides from natural sources such as algae, bacteria, and fungi have been considered as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration. They are safe, low-toxicity, biodegradable, and have biological activities. In this review, the bioactive polysaccharides derived from various microorga…

Current strategies to improve the efficacy and the delivery of nucleic acid based drugs

2010

Flotillin-involved uptake of silica nanoparticles and responses of an alveolar-capillary barrier in vitro

2013

AbstractDrug and gene delivery via nanoparticles across biological barriers such as the alveolar-capillary barrier of the lung constitutes an interesting and increasingly relevant field in nanomedicine. Nevertheless, potential hazardous effects of nanoparticles (NPs) as well as their cellular and systemic fate should be thoroughly examined. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of amorphous silica NPs (Sicastar) and (poly)organosiloxane NPs (AmOrSil) on the viability and the inflammatory response as well as on the cellular uptake mechanisms and fate in cells of the alveolar barrier. For this purpose, the alveolar epithelial cell line (NCI H441) and microvascular endothelial…

Polymer therapeutics: clinical applications and challenges for development.

2009

Enhanced remedial reagents delivery in unsaturated anisotropic soils using surfactant foam

2018

Abstract Homogeneous delivery of solution of oxidant in unsaturated soils is limited by soil anisotropy and gravity. An innovative injection strategy using foam was developed to improve in situ delivery. Primary foam injection before oxidant solution enhanced both the lateral and uniform delivery of reactant in isotropic and anisotropic (permeability, contamination) soils. The oxidant spread isotropically through the foam water network. This sequential injection heavily improved the delivery radius of influence (ROI), while limiting contact between surfactant and solution of oxidant in order to preserve the selective oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminant (TPH). Prior foam injectio…

Phospholipid-polyaspartamide micelles for pulmonary delivery of corticosteroids

2011

A novel drug delivery system for beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) has been constructed through self-assembly of a pegylated phospholipid-polyaminoacid conjugate. This copolymer was obtained by chemical reaction of α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino(polyethyleneglycol)2000] (DSPE-PEG(2000)-NH(2)). Benefiting from the amphiphilic structure with the hydrophilic shell based on both PHEA and PEG and many hydrophobic stearoyl tails, PHEA-PEG(2000)-DSPE copolymer was able to self assemble into micelles in aqueous media above a concentration of 1.23 × 10(-7)M, determined by fluorescence studies. During the self-assembling …

Ligand-Binding Cooperativity Effects in Polymer-Protein Conjugation.

2019

We present an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic characterization of structural and dynamic effects that stem from post-translational modifications of bovine serum albumin (BSA), an established model system for polymer-protein conjugation. Beyond the typical drug delivery and biocompatibility aspect of such systems, we illustrate the causes that alter internal dynamics and therefore functionality in terms of ligand-binding to the BSA protein core. Uptake of the paramagnetic fatty acid derivative 16-doxyl stearic acid by several BSA-based squaric acid macroinitiators and polymer-protein conjugates was studied by EPR spectroscopy, aided by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and z…

Polymeric microcontainers improve oral bioavailability of furosemide.

2016

Microcontainers with an inner diameter of 223 μm are fabricated using the polymer SU-8, and evaluated in vitro, in situ and in vivo for their application as an advanced oral drug delivery system for the poorly water soluble drug furosemide. An amorphous sodium salt of furosemide (ASSF) is filled into the microcontainers followed by applying a lid using Eudragit L100. It is possible to control the drug release in vitro, and in vitro absorption studies show that the microcontainers are not a hindrance for absorption of ASSF. In situ perfusion studies in rats are performed with ASSF-filled microcontainers coated with Eudragit and compared to a furosemide solution. The absorption rate constant …