Pub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100411
Ya-Ning Chen , Meng-Qi Li , Hui-Juan Zhang , Na-Na Xu , Yu-Qian Xu , Wen-Xuan Liu , Ting-Ting Chen , Nan Li , Guang-Yang Wu , Jie-Min Zhao , Wu-Yi Sun
Liver fibrosis is the predominant pathological feature of chronic liver diseases, affecting the well-being of millions around the world. If not detected and intervened on time during the early stage, liver fibrosis can advance to cirrhosis, hepatic insufficiency, and finally hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby endangering human health seriously. Current pharmacotherapies for liver fibrosis have several limitations, such as a lack of sufficient therapeutic efficacy and the presence of adverse side effects. In light of these challenges, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) as drug delivery systems for liver fibrosis has gained significant traction, owing to their inherent characteristics, including safety, stability, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Compared to conventional dosage forms, nanomedicines exhibit distinct advantages, including enhanced bioavailability and targeted delivery of drugs. The employment of NP systems has quickly gained prominence as a viable strategy for the secure delivery of hepatoprotective nucleic acids and drugs in treating liver fibrosis. This comprehensive review examines the primary categories of NPs and elucidates the targeted mechanisms underlying NP-mediated drug delivery systems specifically designed for addressing liver fibrosis.
{"title":"Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems: A promising approach for the treatment of liver fibrosis","authors":"Ya-Ning Chen , Meng-Qi Li , Hui-Juan Zhang , Na-Na Xu , Yu-Qian Xu , Wen-Xuan Liu , Ting-Ting Chen , Nan Li , Guang-Yang Wu , Jie-Min Zhao , Wu-Yi Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Liver fibrosis is the predominant pathological feature of chronic liver diseases, affecting the well-being of millions around the world. If not detected and intervened on time during the early stage, liver fibrosis can advance to cirrhosis, hepatic insufficiency, and finally hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby endangering human health seriously. Current pharmacotherapies for liver fibrosis have several limitations, such as a lack of sufficient therapeutic efficacy and the presence of adverse side effects. In light of these challenges, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) as drug delivery systems for liver fibrosis has gained significant traction, owing to their inherent characteristics, including safety, stability, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Compared to conventional dosage forms, nanomedicines exhibit distinct advantages, including enhanced bioavailability and targeted delivery of drugs. The employment of NP systems has quickly gained prominence as a viable strategy for the secure delivery of hepatoprotective nucleic acids and drugs in treating liver fibrosis. This comprehensive review examines the primary categories of NPs and elucidates the targeted mechanisms underlying NP-mediated drug delivery systems specifically designed for addressing liver fibrosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100411"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The specificity and low toxicity of protein drugs are significant for disease treatment but are strongly limited by their weak tissue penetrative capacity. Although formulating proteins with nanoparticle is an alternative strategy, the low encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of protein drugs and their potential for protein inactivation remain significant challenges. Herein, the de novo designed peptide (Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys) (RHC)3, zinc ions (Zn2+), and the anti-neovascular protein drug Bevacizumab (Beva) were co-assembled to form PZA@Beva (peptide and Zn2+ assemblies encaspsulated Beva) nanomedicine, aiming to overcome the challenges associated with corneal neovascularization (CNV) model. The optimized size of PZA@Beva is approximately 162.5 nm, with EE% and LC% of Beva 92.7 % and 55.8 %, respectively. The bioactivity of encapsulated Beva was preserved, protecting it from proteolytic degradation, and the release of Beva from PZA@Beva exhibited pH-dependent kinetics. In vitro, PZA@Beva demonstrated effective penetration across the ocular barrier via both the paracellular pathway (by opening corneal tight junctions) and the transcellular pathway (through rapid cellular endocytosis). Additionally, PZA@Beva exhibited no cytotoxicity in vitro or in vivo, coupled with prolonged ocular retention, collectively yielding promising results for the treatment of CNV. This study contributes to non-invasive protein delivery across ocular bio-barriers for the treatment of diseases in the anterior segment.
蛋白质药物的特异性和低毒性对疾病治疗具有重要意义,但其组织渗透能力弱,受到强烈限制。虽然用纳米颗粒配制蛋白质是一种替代策略,但蛋白质药物的低封装效率(EE)和负载能力(LC)及其潜在的蛋白质失活仍然是一个重大挑战。本文将从头设计的肽(Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys - arg - his - cys) (RHC)3、锌离子(Zn2+)和抗新生血管蛋白药物贝伐单抗(Beva)共组装形成PZA@Beva(肽和Zn2+组装包被Beva)纳米药物,旨在克服与角膜新生血管(CNV)模型相关的挑战。优化后的PZA@Beva尺寸约为162.5 nm, Beva的EE%和LC%分别为92.7%和55.8%。包裹的Beva的生物活性被保留,保护其免受蛋白水解降解,并且从PZA@Beva中释放Beva表现出ph依赖的动力学。在体外,PZA@Beva通过细胞旁通路(通过打开角膜紧密连接)和细胞外通路(通过快速细胞内吞作用)有效穿透眼屏障。此外,PZA@Beva在体外或体内均未表现出细胞毒性,并伴有长时间的眼潴留,这些都为治疗CNV提供了有希望的结果。该研究有助于通过眼生物屏障非侵入性蛋白递送治疗前段疾病。
{"title":"Co-assembling de novo designed peptide with high-payload drug protein for noninvasive treatment of corneal neovascularization","authors":"Yuhua Tong , Sijie Zhou , Yongjie Guo , Xiaoli Jin , Meiting Yu , Chunyun Feng , Hao Chen , Xingjie Zan , Jinyang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The specificity and low toxicity of protein drugs are significant for disease treatment but are strongly limited by their weak tissue penetrative capacity. Although formulating proteins with nanoparticle is an alternative strategy, the low encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of protein drugs and their potential for protein inactivation remain significant challenges. Herein, the de novo designed peptide (Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys-Arg-His-Cys) (RHC)<sub>3</sub>, zinc ions (Zn<sup>2+</sup>), and the anti-neovascular protein drug Bevacizumab (Beva) were co-assembled to form PZA@Beva (peptide and Zn<sup>2+</sup> assemblies encaspsulated Beva) nanomedicine, aiming to overcome the challenges associated with corneal neovascularization (CNV) model. The optimized size of PZA@Beva is approximately 162.5 nm, with EE% and LC% of Beva 92.7 % and 55.8 %, respectively. The bioactivity of encapsulated Beva was preserved, protecting it from proteolytic degradation, and the release of Beva from PZA@Beva exhibited pH-dependent kinetics. In vitro, PZA@Beva demonstrated effective penetration across the ocular barrier via both the paracellular pathway (by opening corneal tight junctions) and the transcellular pathway (through rapid cellular endocytosis). Additionally, PZA@Beva exhibited no cytotoxicity in vitro or in vivo, coupled with prolonged ocular retention, collectively yielding promising results for the treatment of CNV. This study contributes to non-invasive protein delivery across ocular bio-barriers for the treatment of diseases in the anterior segment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100410"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100409
Ravi Maharjan , Nam Ah Kim , Ki Hyun Kim , Seong Hoon Jeong
Digital Twins (DTs) represent a groundbreaking development tool in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, providing virtual representations of physical entities, processes, or systems. This review investigates the transformative roles of DTs by examining their applications throughout the entire drug development lifecycle, from discovery to continuous manufacturing. By facilitating real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, DTs enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality. Integration with advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, further amplifies their capabilities, enabling sophisticated data analysis for preventive maintenance and manufacturing optimization. Despite these advantages, the implementation of DTs faces significant challenges, including data integration, model accuracy, and regulatory complexity. This review discusses these barriers while highlighting opportunities for innovation and automation through emerging technologies, including blockchain, nanotechnology, and dark factory. It also explores the potential of DTs to support personalized medicine through individualized treatments based on patient-specific data. Overall, this review highlights the current state, key challenges, and future perspectives of DT applications in pharmaceutical systems, emphasizing their potential to improve efficiency, quality, and patient outcomes.
{"title":"Transformative roles of digital twins from drug discovery to continuous manufacturing: pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical perspectives","authors":"Ravi Maharjan , Nam Ah Kim , Ki Hyun Kim , Seong Hoon Jeong","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital Twins (DTs) represent a groundbreaking development tool in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, providing virtual representations of physical entities, processes, or systems. This review investigates the transformative roles of DTs by examining their applications throughout the entire drug development lifecycle, from discovery to continuous manufacturing. By facilitating real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, DTs enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality. Integration with advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, further amplifies their capabilities, enabling sophisticated data analysis for preventive maintenance and manufacturing optimization. Despite these advantages, the implementation of DTs faces significant challenges, including data integration, model accuracy, and regulatory complexity. This review discusses these barriers while highlighting opportunities for innovation and automation through emerging technologies, including blockchain, nanotechnology, and dark factory. It also explores the potential of DTs to support personalized medicine through individualized treatments based on patient-specific data. Overall, this review highlights the current state, key challenges, and future perspectives of DT applications in pharmaceutical systems, emphasizing their potential to improve efficiency, quality, and patient outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100409"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100408
Dan Liu , Te Zhao , Yi Li , Lin Huang , Junwei Che , Pengfei Zou , Wenjie Yang , Junjie Ding , Pinghui Wu , Xiang Gao , Yuhua Ran , Hua Sun , Zhiping Li , Jing Gao , Chunsheng Gao
The global morbidity and mortality associated with viral diseases pose a major threat to public health security and cause significant economic losses worldwide. Developing novel prophylactic and therapeutic interventions remains an urgent priority in contemporary virology research. Immunotherapy, initially developed for cancer treatment, has shown satisfactory efficacy in the management of viral infections. However, the clinical application of immunotherapy is still constrained by its inherent limitations, including poor stability, inadequate targeting ability, and systemic toxicity. Nanocarriers have emerged as a promising platform to address these challenges, with features such as protecting active substances from enzymatic degradation, delivering active substances specifically to the site of infection via ligand modification, and controlling the release behavior of active substances so as to maintain their controlled and therapeutic concentrations. Therefore, the combination of immunotherapy and nanocarriers is expected to overcome the shortcomings of immunotherapy and significantly improve their therapeutic efficacy. In this review, the classification, application, and combination of immunotherapy with nanocarriers in viral diseases are summarized. The challenges and the future prospects of this combination are also discussed.
{"title":"Nanocarrier-based immunotherapy for viral diseases","authors":"Dan Liu , Te Zhao , Yi Li , Lin Huang , Junwei Che , Pengfei Zou , Wenjie Yang , Junjie Ding , Pinghui Wu , Xiang Gao , Yuhua Ran , Hua Sun , Zhiping Li , Jing Gao , Chunsheng Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global morbidity and mortality associated with viral diseases pose a major threat to public health security and cause significant economic losses worldwide. Developing novel prophylactic and therapeutic interventions remains an urgent priority in contemporary virology research. Immunotherapy, initially developed for cancer treatment, has shown satisfactory efficacy in the management of viral infections. However, the clinical application of immunotherapy is still constrained by its inherent limitations, including poor stability, inadequate targeting ability, and systemic toxicity. Nanocarriers have emerged as a promising platform to address these challenges, with features such as protecting active substances from enzymatic degradation, delivering active substances specifically to the site of infection via ligand modification, and controlling the release behavior of active substances so as to maintain their controlled and therapeutic concentrations. Therefore, the combination of immunotherapy and nanocarriers is expected to overcome the shortcomings of immunotherapy and significantly improve their therapeutic efficacy. In this review, the classification, application, and combination of immunotherapy with nanocarriers in viral diseases are summarized. The challenges and the future prospects of this combination are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100408"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100402
Shuai-hua Li , Meng-jing Feng , Hao-tian Shao , Jian-hua Liu, Hua Wu, Li Yuan, Xiao-yuan Ma, Gong-zheng Hu
Colistin (COL) is widely recognized as the last line of defense for treating MDR-negative bacterial infections, but currently, bacteria have a very serious resistance to COL. The combination of antibacterial drugs and adjuvant drugs can reverse drug resistance, enhance antibacterial activity, and improve therapeutic effects. It is currently regarded as a new safe and effective strategy for controlling drug resistance. In this study, we found that the combination of Oxyclozanide (OXY) and colistin can effectively reverse colistin resistance. For multiple colistin resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains, COL-OXY-PLGA @MS significantly reduced the MIC of COL monotherapy (8 < MIC<64) by 40–160 times. The prepared COL-OXY-PLGA@MS had particle sizes of 140–160 nm, PDI of 0.03–0.2, COL loading of 5.14 % and OXY loading of 2.93 %. The release rate of COL in COL-OXY-PLGA@MS at 72 h was 39.31 %, and there was no burst release. Cytotoxicity assay, hemolysis test and long-term injection tests in mice have proved that COL-OXY-PLGA@MS has good safety and biocompatibility. It was clearly observed by SEM that the COL-OXY-PLGA@MS group disrupted E. coli 58 cells under 1 h of action with obvious exudation of contents, and large number of cells ruptured at 4 h and 12 h. COL-OXY-PLGA@MS significantly reduced mortality rate after E. coli infection in mice. This study successfully prepared COL-OXY-PLGA@MS with high safety and strong antibacterial effect, which has great potential in the treatment of infections caused by color-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and provides a new and important strategy for the clinical application of colistin.
{"title":"Colistin and Oxyclozanide co-loaded PLGA nano-microspheres to reverse colistin resistance can effectively treat colistin-resistant Escherichia coli infections","authors":"Shuai-hua Li , Meng-jing Feng , Hao-tian Shao , Jian-hua Liu, Hua Wu, Li Yuan, Xiao-yuan Ma, Gong-zheng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100402","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100402","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Colistin (COL) is widely recognized as the last line of defense for treating MDR-negative bacterial infections, but currently, bacteria have a very serious resistance to COL. The combination of antibacterial drugs and adjuvant drugs can reverse drug resistance, enhance antibacterial activity, and improve therapeutic effects. It is currently regarded as a new safe and effective strategy for controlling drug resistance. In this study, we found that the combination of Oxyclozanide (OXY) and colistin can effectively reverse colistin resistance. For multiple colistin resistant <em>Escherichia coli</em> (<em>E. coli</em>) strains, COL-OXY-PLGA @MS significantly reduced the MIC of COL monotherapy (8 < MIC<64) by 40–160 times. The prepared COL-OXY-PLGA@MS had particle sizes of 140–160 nm, PDI of 0.03–0.2, COL loading of 5.14 % and OXY loading of 2.93 %. The release rate of COL in COL-OXY-PLGA@MS at 72 h was 39.31 %, and there was no burst release. Cytotoxicity assay, hemolysis test and long-term injection tests in mice have proved that COL-OXY-PLGA@MS has good safety and biocompatibility. It was clearly observed by SEM that the COL-OXY-PLGA@MS group disrupted <em>E. coli 58</em> cells under 1 h of action with obvious exudation of contents, and large number of cells ruptured at 4 h and 12 h. COL-OXY-PLGA@MS significantly reduced mortality rate after <em>E. coli</em> infection in mice. This study successfully prepared COL-OXY-PLGA@MS with high safety and strong antibacterial effect, which has great potential in the treatment of infections caused by color-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and provides a new and important strategy for the clinical application of colistin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100402"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100403
Siamak Javanbakht, Reza Mohammadi
In this research, an advanced drug delivery system was developed by decorating the copper-benzene dicarboxylate framework (Cu(BDC)) with the multifunctional chondroitin sulfate (ChS), termed Cu(BDC)/ChS. This novel system is designed for both active and passive targeting, featuring a pH-sensitive release mechanism that enhances drug effectiveness. Different characterization techniques confirmed the successful synthesis of the Cu(BDC)/ChS nanocomposite. In-vitro experiments evaluating the loading and release of methotrexate (MTX) showed that the release rate was significantly higher at pH 4.5, releasing 70 % over 92 h at 41 °C, in contrast to less than 20 % at pH 7.4 at 37 °C. This pH responsiveness of the Cu(BDC)/ChS promotes drug release in environments alike to tumor tissues. Additionally, cytotoxicity tests revealed that MTX-loaded Cu(BDC)/ChS exhibited considerable cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cancer cells, with IC50 value of ∼250 μg/mL after 48 h, accompanied by an increase in apoptosis rates. Remarkably, the overexpression of CD44 receptors on cancer cell surfaces underscores the significance of ChS-functionalized systems in promoting selective cancer cell apoptosis, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity toward normal HUVEC cells. Overall, the findings indicate that the combination of Cu(BDC) and ChS holds promise for developing effective platforms for anticancer drug delivery.
{"title":"Chondroitin sulfate-decorated cupper-benzene dicarboxylate framework as an efficient passive and active targeting nanomedicine for anticancer methotrexate delivery","authors":"Siamak Javanbakht, Reza Mohammadi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100403","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this research, an advanced drug delivery system was developed by decorating the copper-benzene dicarboxylate framework (Cu(BDC)) with the multifunctional chondroitin sulfate (ChS), termed Cu(BDC)/ChS. This novel system is designed for both active and passive targeting, featuring a pH-sensitive release mechanism that enhances drug effectiveness. Different characterization techniques confirmed the successful synthesis of the Cu(BDC)/ChS nanocomposite. In-vitro experiments evaluating the loading and release of methotrexate (MTX) showed that the release rate was significantly higher at pH 4.5, releasing 70 % over 92 h at 41 °C, in contrast to less than 20 % at pH 7.4 at 37 °C. This pH responsiveness of the Cu(BDC)/ChS promotes drug release in environments alike to tumor tissues. Additionally, cytotoxicity tests revealed that MTX-loaded Cu(BDC)/ChS exhibited considerable cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cancer cells, with IC50 value of ∼250 μg/mL after 48 h, accompanied by an increase in apoptosis rates. Remarkably, the overexpression of CD44 receptors on cancer cell surfaces underscores the significance of ChS-functionalized systems in promoting selective cancer cell apoptosis, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity toward normal HUVEC cells. Overall, the findings indicate that the combination of Cu(BDC) and ChS holds promise for developing effective platforms for anticancer drug delivery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100403"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100406
Alaa S. Eita , Amna M.A. Makky , Asem Anter , Islam A. Khalil
Amlodipine besylate (AML) is a renowned antihypertensive drug currently acknowledged for having antibacterial activity. AML repositioning can be helpful in the defeat of microbial-resistant strains. Loading amlodipine in the pluroleosomes (PLOs) foam system is desired to approach innovative remedies with a convenient application capable of targeting deep infections. The mixture design was employed to generate different pluroleosomes formulations consisting of various ratios of Pluronic F-127, oleic acid, and soya lecithin loaded with amlodipine. Based on the desirability function, the selected optimized formula (AML-PLOs), consisting of 4.875 for lecithin, one for oleic acid, and 1.125 for pluronic, exhibits a particle size of 320.56 ± 15.5 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.4461 ± 0.03, a surface charge of 15.261 ± 0.62 mV, and AML entrapment of 71.25 ± 3.52 %. The morphological image displayed a uniform spherical shape at the nanoscale. In addition, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy (IR) proved the suitability of AML-pluroleosome vesicles. Tween 20, the selected nonionic surfactant in foam preparation, achieved the demand values of foam parameters and showed adequate stability upon storage for up to 90 days. The selected AML-PLO foam showed complete AML release after 48 h in a controlled manner, and the cumulative amount permeated after 24 h was about 45 %. Efficient penetration through dermal strata was affirmed by utilizing a confocal microscope. In vitro microbiological assay, besides the in vivo microbiological and histopathological studies employing a wound healing model, validated the antibacterial efficacy of amlodipine. Those outcomes demonstrated that the prepared pluroleosome foam system of AML is a competent candidate for combating topical bacterial infection.
{"title":"Foamable pluroleosomes system loaded with amlodipine as a repurposed antibacterial topical formulation against MRSA-induced infection; optimization, in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo studies","authors":"Alaa S. Eita , Amna M.A. Makky , Asem Anter , Islam A. Khalil","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amlodipine besylate (AML) is a renowned antihypertensive drug currently acknowledged for having antibacterial activity. AML repositioning can be helpful in the defeat of microbial-resistant strains. Loading amlodipine in the pluroleosomes (PLOs) foam system is desired to approach innovative remedies with a convenient application capable of targeting deep infections. The mixture design was employed to generate different pluroleosomes formulations consisting of various ratios of Pluronic F-127, oleic acid, and soya lecithin loaded with amlodipine. Based on the desirability function, the selected optimized formula (AML-PLOs), consisting of 4.875 for lecithin, one for oleic acid, and 1.125 for pluronic, exhibits a particle size of 320.56 ± 15.5 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.4461 ± 0.03, a surface charge of 15.261 ± 0.62 mV, and AML entrapment of 71.25 ± 3.52 %. The morphological image displayed a uniform spherical shape at the nanoscale. In addition, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy (IR) proved the suitability of AML-pluroleosome vesicles. Tween 20, the selected nonionic surfactant in foam preparation, achieved the demand values of foam parameters and showed adequate stability upon storage for up to 90 days. The selected AML-PLO foam showed complete AML release after 48 h in a controlled manner, and the cumulative amount permeated after 24 h was about 45 %. Efficient penetration through dermal strata was affirmed by utilizing a confocal microscope. <em>In vitro</em> microbiological assay, besides the <em>in vivo</em> microbiological and histopathological studies employing a wound healing model, validated the antibacterial efficacy of amlodipine. Those outcomes demonstrated that the prepared pluroleosome foam system of AML is a competent candidate for combating topical bacterial infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100406"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive cancer treatment due to its selective tumor ablation and excellent safety characteristics. However, its efficacy is limited by tumor hypoxia and excessive inflammation. In this study, we fabricated human serum albumin-based nanoparticles (CAI NPs) encapsulating celecoxib (CXB), atovaquone (ATO), and IR820 via sonication. The CAI NPs exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a uniform size distribution (<200 nm), high encapsulation efficiency and excellent colloidal stability. Initially, ATO acts as a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor, suppressing oxidative phosphorylation to ameliorate tumor hypoxia. This hypoxia alleviation potentiates PDT efficacy by enhancing tumor cell ROS generation. Furthermore, concomitant COX-2/PGE2 inhibition by CXB attenuates the excessive inflammatory cascade triggered during PDT, resulting in enhanced therapeutic outcomes through microenvironment modulation. Eventually, the dual-enhanced CAI NPs demonstrate potent antitumor activity in both in vivo and ex vivo models, while maintaining excellent biocompatibility under physiological conditions. In summary, the integrated three-drug regimen conclusively enhances photodynamic therapeutic outcomes through multimodal mechanisms, establishing a viable treatment approach for esophageal cancer.
{"title":"A self-delivery albumin nanomedicine amplified photodynamic therapy against esophageal cancer through COX-2/PGE2 interruption and regulation of mitochondrial respiratory","authors":"Shiying Xu , Lina Wu , Boxin Chen , Xiaoliang Deng , Zhihui Zheng , Fei Wu , Lingjun Zeng , Changqing Zheng , Xiaomu Hu , Aiwen Huang , Xin Zhou , Xianquan Feng , Zhihong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive cancer treatment due to its selective tumor ablation and excellent safety characteristics. However, its efficacy is limited by tumor hypoxia and excessive inflammation. In this study, we fabricated human serum albumin-based nanoparticles (CAI NPs) encapsulating celecoxib (CXB), atovaquone (ATO), and IR820 <em>via</em> sonication. The CAI NPs exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a uniform size distribution (<200 nm), high encapsulation efficiency and excellent colloidal stability. Initially, ATO acts as a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor, suppressing oxidative phosphorylation to ameliorate tumor hypoxia. This hypoxia alleviation potentiates PDT efficacy by enhancing tumor cell ROS generation. Furthermore, concomitant COX-2/PGE2 inhibition by CXB attenuates the excessive inflammatory cascade triggered during PDT, resulting in enhanced therapeutic outcomes through microenvironment modulation. Eventually, the dual-enhanced CAI NPs demonstrate potent antitumor activity in both <em>in vivo</em> and <em>ex vivo</em> models, while maintaining excellent biocompatibility under physiological conditions. In summary, the integrated three-drug regimen conclusively enhances photodynamic therapeutic outcomes through multimodal mechanisms, establishing a viable treatment approach for esophageal cancer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100407"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100405
Ben Kohlhaas , Jan Henrik Finke
Die Filling is the critical process step in tableting as it determines the tablet weight and its variability as well as impacting tablet strength and defect propensity. Several studies have focused on modeling die filling on rotary presses, however none have investigated the matter on a compaction simulator. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterize the die filling behavior on a compaction simulator and compare it to a laboratory scale rotary press. Special attention is paid to the complex interplay of process parameters, machine geometry and material properties. Experimental results are supported by a newly introduced physics-based calculation of the course of the exerted differential pressure as a main driver of die filling. On the compaction simulator, suction filling is shown to be more intense due to its geometry and elevated lower punch velocities, rendering paddle speed of the feed frame less crucial. On the rotary press, paddle rotation is necessary to ensure sufficient powder flow into the dies, especially at high production speed, due to a shorter filling time. An alternative fill cam geometry, where the punch is already pulled down to a certain extent before entering the feed frame, reduces the exerted suction pressure in the filling zone, giving generally lower filling yield for materials of limited flowability. The study offers a solid understanding of die filling on a compaction simulator and the underlying mechanisms. Together with the comparative experiments, the foundation for a model for rational scale transfer towards rotary presses is established.
{"title":"Investigation of differences in mechanisms of die filling between a compaction simulator and a rotary press","authors":"Ben Kohlhaas , Jan Henrik Finke","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Die Filling is the critical process step in tableting as it determines the tablet weight and its variability as well as impacting tablet strength and defect propensity. Several studies have focused on modeling die filling on rotary presses, however none have investigated the matter on a compaction simulator. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterize the die filling behavior on a compaction simulator and compare it to a laboratory scale rotary press. Special attention is paid to the complex interplay of process parameters, machine geometry and material properties. Experimental results are supported by a newly introduced physics-based calculation of the course of the exerted differential pressure as a main driver of die filling. On the compaction simulator, suction filling is shown to be more intense due to its geometry and elevated lower punch velocities, rendering paddle speed of the feed frame less crucial. On the rotary press, paddle rotation is necessary to ensure sufficient powder flow into the dies, especially at high production speed, due to a shorter filling time. An alternative fill cam geometry, where the punch is already pulled down to a certain extent before entering the feed frame, reduces the exerted suction pressure in the filling zone, giving generally lower filling yield for materials of limited flowability. The study offers a solid understanding of die filling on a compaction simulator and the underlying mechanisms. Together with the comparative experiments, the foundation for a model for rational scale transfer towards rotary presses is established.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100405"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100404
Xiachan Chen , Yiming Liu , Jing Zou , Hao Chen , Hengrui Zhang , Yan Guo , Xingjie Zan
Thrombus-induced ischemic stroke (IS) remains a serious threat a serious health threat with limited therapeutic efficacy due to the dual challenges of precise thrombus targeting and restricted blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. While conventional nanocarriers, such as liposomes, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), demonstrate clinical potential due to their mature preparation protocols, their application is limited by poor targeting accuracy, inadequate biocompatibility, and rapid systemic clearance. In response, microenvironment-responsive biomimetic drug delivery systems based on cell membrane-camouflaged nanomedicines (CM-NMs) have emerged as a promising strategy, leveraging the pathological features of ischemic lesions for enhanced targeting and treatment. CM-NMs stand out by utilizing cell membranes to preserve innate targeting and/or BBB penetration capabilities. This approach also ensures high biocompatibility and minimizes the risk of immune clearance. This review highlights recent advances in CM-NMs for IS treatment, critically discussing three key approaches: (1) platelet membrane-camouflaged nanomedicines (PLM-NMs), which mimic platelet adhesion for thrombus-specific accumulation, (2) immune cell membrane NMs and stem cell membrane NMs, which leverage inflammatory tropism or homing mechanisms for enhanced BBB penetration, and (3) hybrid membrane NMs, which enable multi-targeting capabilities. Furthermore, we discuss ongoing challenges and clinical translation potential of CM-NMs to provide guidance for next-generation CM-NMs.
{"title":"Cell membrane-camouflaged nanomedicines for enhanced thrombolysis and blood-brain barrier penetration in ischemic stroke therapy","authors":"Xiachan Chen , Yiming Liu , Jing Zou , Hao Chen , Hengrui Zhang , Yan Guo , Xingjie Zan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpx.2025.100404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thrombus-induced ischemic stroke (IS) remains a serious threat a serious health threat with limited therapeutic efficacy due to the dual challenges of precise thrombus targeting and restricted blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. While conventional nanocarriers, such as liposomes, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), demonstrate clinical potential due to their mature preparation protocols, their application is limited by poor targeting accuracy, inadequate biocompatibility, and rapid systemic clearance. In response, microenvironment-responsive biomimetic drug delivery systems based on cell membrane-camouflaged nanomedicines (CM-NMs) have emerged as a promising strategy, leveraging the pathological features of ischemic lesions for enhanced targeting and treatment. CM-NMs stand out by utilizing cell membranes to preserve innate targeting and/or BBB penetration capabilities. This approach also ensures high biocompatibility and minimizes the risk of immune clearance. This review highlights recent advances in CM-NMs for IS treatment, critically discussing three key approaches: (1) platelet membrane-camouflaged nanomedicines (PLM-NMs), which mimic platelet adhesion for thrombus-specific accumulation, (2) immune cell membrane NMs and stem cell membrane NMs, which leverage inflammatory tropism or homing mechanisms for enhanced BBB penetration, and (3) hybrid membrane NMs, which enable multi-targeting capabilities. Furthermore, we discuss ongoing challenges and clinical translation potential of CM-NMs to provide guidance for next-generation CM-NMs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14280,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100404"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}