Nanoscale Drug Delivery Systems for Glaucoma: Experimental and In Silico Advances

Author(s):  
Smriti Sharma ◽  
Vinayak Bhatia

: In this review nanoscale based drug delivery systems particularly in relevance to the antiglaucoma drugs have been discussed. In addition to that, the latest computational/in silico advances in this field are examined in brief. Using nanoscale materials for drug delivery, is an ideal option to target tumours and drug can be released at areas of the body where traditional drugs may fail to act. Nanoparticles, polymeric nanomaterials, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), quantum dots (QDs), liposomes and graphene are the most important nanomaterials used for drug delivery. Ocular drug delivery is one of the most common and difficult tasks faced by pharmaceutical scientists because of many challenges like circumventing the blood–retinal barrier, corneal epithelium and the blood–aqueous barrier. Authors found compelling empirical evidence of scientists relying on in-silico approaches to develop novel drugs and drug delivery systems for treating glaucoma. This review in nanoscale drug delivery systems will help us in understand the existing queries and evidence gaps and will pave way for effective design of novel ocular drug delivery systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmat Majeed ◽  
Nisar Ahmad Khan

Eye is the most sensitive organ of the body. Designing of ocular drug delivery system is the  most challenging field for pharmaceutical scientists as less than 5% of administered drug enters the eye due to the complicated anatomical structure of the eye, small absorptive surface and low transparency of the cornea, lipophilicity of corneal epithelium, pre corneal loss (due to nasolacrimal drainage), bonding of the drug with proteins contained in tear fluid, blinking, low capacity of conjunctival sac, that restricts the entry of drug molecule at the site of action and ultimately leads to poor ocular therapy. To improve ophthalmic drug bioavailability, there are considerable efforts directed towards newer drug delivery systems for ophthalmic administration. These novel drug delivery systems offer manifold advantages over conventional systems as they increase the efficiency of drug delivery by improving the release profile and also reduce drug toxicity. A lot of research going on in this area proves the fact that in situ gelling systems can be beneficial in the ocular drug delivery. In situ gel forming systems are drug delivery systems that are in solution form before administration in the body but once administered, undergo  in situ gelation, to form a gel triggered by external stimulus such as temperature, pH etc.  This review is to Specify a brief summary about in situ gels, various approaches for in situ gelling systems, different types of polymers used in in situ gels, their mechanisms of gel formation and evaluation of polymeric in situ gel. Keywords: in situ gel, polymers, Temperature induced in situ gel system, pH induced in situ gel system, Ion activated systems.


Author(s):  
Manju Misra ◽  
Aashu Gupta ◽  
Kritika Nayak

This review describes current nanotechnology-based delivery systems for ocular targeting. Amongst all the drug delivery systems existing today, ocular drug delivery is one such delivery approach which is having great endeavours due to the challenges faced by it. Many new as well as exciting treatment options have emerged in this field. The major cause behind development of new treatment alternatives in this field are the limitations raised by the conventional approaches. Currently, researchers are working on development of novel nano techniques to overcome these challenges. The major hurdle is associated with the complicated anatomy and physiology of eye having various static (cornea, conjunctiva, retinal pigmental epithelium) as well as dynamic barriers (blood aqueous barrier, blood retinal barrier) which reduce the overall bioavailability of the drugs. These membranous and fluidic barriers make drug delivery to eye a very challenging task. Hence, current research focuses on developing a system, which is least invasive and able to surpass ocular barriers to maintain sufficient drug levels within the ocular tissue. Nanotechnology based delivery systems play a vital role in this. Many vesicular as well as particulate systems are attempted for the same for anterior as well as posterior segment targeting which can easily overcome limitations of conventional drug delivery systems. Current momentum and ongoing research in this field holds a significant level of promise towards development of improved therapies for treating vision related ailments.    


Author(s):  
AMITHA MARY JOSE ◽  
V. U. LAKSHMI ◽  
GAYATHRI S. ◽  
SREEJA C. NAIR

The formulation system employed to convey pharmaceutical drugs compound in the body to attain the desired therapeutic effect at a predetermined rate depending on pharmacological aspects, drug profile, and physiological conditions can be referred to as a novel drug delivery system (NDDS). Due to the intricately sensitive anatomy and physiology of the eye pharmacologist find the ocular delivery system to be more involuted than other routes. Pre-corneal, static and dynamic is the 3 types of ophthalmic barriers, which along with the inflow and outflow of lacrimal fluids, nasolacrimal drainage, are some of the germane factors that affect bioavailability. Unlike conventional dosage forms, where the distribution of drugs in non-targeted body fluids and tissues transcends the quantity of required drug in targeted tissues and causes repercussions, these modified drug delivery systems surpass the ocular barriers and adverse reactions, emphasizing on less invasive, prolonged action. It also promotes sustained release formulation that subjugates the drug loss or degradation to treat many ocular diseases effectively. The current review recapitulates the fundamentals of discosomes, a type of vesicular drug delivery system that acts as a vehicle for the drug delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Discosomes are giant, disc-shaped structures modified from niosomes by arresting the vesicles at the discosome phase. Due to their idiosyncratic size, it provides all due benefits compared to other ocular drug delivery systems. From the review, it can be culminated that discosomes are a potential subject of opposition and opportunities in the arena of safe and effective ocular drug delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (42) ◽  
pp. 5488-5502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yub Raj Neupane ◽  
Asiya Mahtab ◽  
Lubna Siddiqui ◽  
Archu Singh ◽  
Namrata Gautam ◽  
...  

Autoimmune diseases are collectively addressed as chronic conditions initiated by the loss of one’s immunological tolerance, where the body treats its own cells as foreigners or self-antigens. These hay-wired antibodies or immunologically capable cells lead to a variety of disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and recently included neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism and testicular cancer triggered T-cells induced autoimmune response in testes and brain. Conventional treatments for autoimmune diseases possess several downsides due to unfavourable pharmacokinetic behaviour of drug, reflected by low bioavailability, rapid clearance, offsite toxicity, restricted targeting ability and poor therapeutic outcomes. Novel nanovesicular drug delivery systems including liposomes, niosomes, proniosomes, ethosomes, transferosomes, pharmacosomes, ufasomes and biologically originated exosomes have proved to possess alluring prospects in supporting the combat against autoimmune diseases. These nanovesicles have revitalized available treatment modalities as they are biocompatible, biodegradable, less immunogenic and capable of carrying high drug payloads to deliver both hydrophilic as well as lipophilic drugs to specific sites via passive or active targeting. Due to their unique surface chemistry, they can be decorated with physiological or synthetic ligands to target specific receptors overexpressed in different autoimmune diseases and can even cross the blood-brain barrier. This review presents exhaustive yet concise information on the potential of various nanovesicular systems as drug carriers in improving the overall therapeutic efficiency of the dosage regimen for various autoimmune diseases. The role of endogenous exosomes as biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune diseases along with monitoring progress of treatment will also be highlighted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 432-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana M. Juarez ◽  
Jorgelina Cussa ◽  
Marcos B. Gomez Costa ◽  
Oscar A. Anunziata

Background: Controlled drug delivery systems can maintain the concentration of drugs in the exact sites of the body within the optimum range and below the toxicity threshold, improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing toxicity. Mesostructured Cellular Foam (MCF) material is a new promising host for drug delivery systems due to high biocompatibility, in vivo biodegradability and low toxicity. Methods: Ketorolac-Tromethamine/MCF composite was synthesized. The material synthesis and loading of ketorolac-tromethamine into MCF pores were successful as shown by XRD, FTIR, TGA, TEM and textural analyses. Results: We obtained promising results for controlled drug release using the novel MCF material. The application of these materials in KETO release is innovative, achieving an initial high release rate and then maintaining a constant rate at high times. This allows keeping drug concentration within the range of therapeutic efficacy, being highly applicable for the treatment of diseases that need a rapid response. The release of KETO/MCF was compared with other containers of KETO (KETO/SBA-15) and commercial tablets. Conclusion: The best model to fit experimental data was Ritger-Peppas equation. Other models used in this work could not properly explain the controlled drug release of this material. The predominant release of KETO from MCF was non-Fickian diffusion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Modrejewski ◽  
Johanna-Gabriela Walter ◽  
Imme Kretschmer ◽  
Evren Kemal ◽  
Mark Green ◽  
...  

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop a model system for targeted drug delivery. This system should enable targeted drug release at a certain tissue in the body. In conventional drug delivery systems, drugs are often delivered unspecifically resulting in unwarranted adverse effects. To circumvent this problem, there is an increasing demand for the development of intelligent drug delivery systems allowing a tissue-specific mode of delivery. Within this study, nanoparticles consisting of two biocompatible polymers are used. Because of their small size, nanoparticles are well-suited for effective drug delivery. The small size affects their movement through cell and tissue barriers. Their cellular uptake is easier when compared to larger drug delivery systems. Paclitaxel was encapsulated into the nanoparticles as a model drug, and to achieve specific targeting an aptamer directed against lung cancer cells was coupled to the nanoparticles surface. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nanotracking analysis (NTA). Also their surface charge was characterized from ζ-potential measurements. Their preparation was optimized and subsequently specificity of drug-loaded and aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles was investigated using lung cancer cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panoraia I. Siafaka ◽  
Gökce Mutlu ◽  
Neslihan Üstündağ Okur

Background: Dementia and its related types such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and mixed dementia belong to brain associated diseases, resulting in long-term progressive memory loss. These diseases are so severe that can affect a person's daily routine. Up to date, treatment of de- mentias is still an unmet challenge due to their complex pathophysiology and unavailable efficient pharmacological approaches. The use of nanotechnology based pharmaceutical products could possibly improve the management of dementia given that nanocarriers could more efficiently deliver drugs to the brain. Objective: The objective of this study is to provide the current nanotechnology based drug delivery systems for the treatment of various dementia types. In addition, the current diagnosis biomarkers for the mentioned dementia types along with their available pharmacological treatment are being dis- cussed. Method: An extensive review of the current nanosystems such as brain drug delivery systems against Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and mixed dementia was performed. Moreover, nan- otheranostics as possible imaging markers for such dementias were also reported. Results: The field of nanotechnology is quite advantageous for targeting dementia given that nanoscale drug delivery systems easily penetrate the blood brain barrier and circulate in the body for prolonged time. These nanoformulations consist of polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostruc- tured lipid carriers, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, and liquid crystals. The delivery of the nan- otherapeutics can be achieved via various administration routes such as transdermal, injectable, oral, and more importantly, through the intranasal route. Nonetheless, the nanocarriers are mostly limited to Alzheimer’s disease targeting; thus, nanocarriers for other types of dementia should be developed. Conclusion: To conclude, understanding the mechanism of neurodegeneration and reviewing the cur- rent drug delivery systems for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia types are significant for medical and pharmaceutical society to produce efficient therapeutic choices and novel strategies based on mul- tifunctional and biocompatible nanocarriers, which can deliver the drug sufficiently into the brain.


2018 ◽  
Vol 244 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Jones ◽  
Annette F. Taylor ◽  
Paul A Beales

Nanomedicines for controlled drug release provide temporal and spatial regulation of drug bioavailability in the body. The timing of drug release is usually engineered either for slow gradual release over an extended period of time or for rapid release triggered by a specific change in its physicochemical environment. However, between these two extremes, there is the desirable possibility of adaptive nanomedicines that dynamically modulate drug release in tune with its changing environment. Adaptation and response through communication with its environment is a fundamental trait of living systems; therefore, the design of biomimetic nanomedicines through the approaches of bottom-up synthetic biology provides a viable route to this goal. This could enable drug delivery systems to optimize release in synchronicity with the body’s natural biological rhythms and the personalized physiological characteristics of the patient, e.g. their metabolic rate. Living systems achieve this responsiveness through feedback-controlled biochemical processes that regulate their functional outputs. Towards this goal of adaptive drug delivery systems, we review the general benefits of nanomedicine formulations, provide existing examples of experimental nanomedicines that encapsulate the metabolic function of enzymes, and give relevant examples of feedback-controlled chemical systems. These are the underpinning concepts that hold promise to be combined to form novel adaptive release systems. Furthermore, we motivate the advantages of adaptive release through chronobiological examples. By providing a brief review of these topics and an assessment of the state of the art, we aim to provide a useful resource to accelerate developments in this field. Impact statement The timing and rate of release of pharmaceuticals from advanced drug delivery systems is an important property that has received considerable attention in the scientific literature. Broadly, these mostly fall into two classes: controlled release with a prolonged release rate or triggered release where the drug is rapidly released in response to an environmental stimulus. This review aims to highlight the potential for developing adaptive release systems that more subtlety modulate the drug release profile through continuous communication with its environment facilitated through feedback control. By reviewing the key elements of this approach in one place (fundamental principles of nanomedicine, enzymatic nanoreactors for medical therapies and feedback-controlled chemical systems) and providing additional motivating case studies in the context of chronobiology, we hope to inspire innovative development of novel “chrononanomedicines.”


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