Recent Developments of Nanostructures for the Ocular Delivery of Natural Compounds.

Ocular disorders comprising various diseases of the anterior and posterior segments are considered as the main reasons for blindness. Natural products have been identified as potential treatments for ocular diseases due to their anti-oxidative, antiangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Unfortunately, most of these beneficial compounds are characterised by low solubility which results in low bioavailability and rapid systemic clearance thus requiring frequent administration or requiring high doses, which hinders their therapeutic applications.

Worm-like micelles of triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide and styrene oxide characterised using light scattering and Taylor dispersion analysis.

A triblock ESE copolymer (ESE, S = styrene oxide and E = ethylene oxide) was synthesised by sequential oxyanionic copolymerisation of styrene oxide followed by ethylene oxide. Light scattering studies demonstrated a shape transition from spherical micelles to worm-like micelles above a critical temperature of approximately 18 °C. Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA) also indicated a size growth when the temperature increased from 25 to 40 °C due to the formation of worm-like micelles.

In Vitro Evaluation of Third Generation PAMAM Dendrimer Conjugates.

The present study compares the use of high generation G3 and low generation G0 Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as drug carriers of naproxen (NAP), a poorly water soluble drug. Naproxen was conjugated to G3 in different ratios and to G0 in a 1:1 ratio via a diethylene glycol linker. A lauroyl chain (L), a lipophilic permeability enhancer, was attached to G3 and G0 prodrugs.

Recent advances in exosome-based nanovehicles as RNA interference therapeutic carriers.

RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics (siRNA, miRNA, etc.) represent an emerging medicinal remedy for a variety of ailments. However, their low serum stability and low cellular uptake significantly restrict their clinical applications.

Preparation of core-crosslinked linear-dendritic copolymer micelles with enhanced stability and their application for drug solubilisation.

In this study we explore the preparation of core-crosslinked micelles of linear-dendritic methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG)-co-poly(ester-sulfide) (PES) polymers to improve the stability of such polymeric micelle systems against premature disintegration and drug release. A series of MPEG-PES copolymers were synthesised via stepwise reactions of acetylation and thiol-ene photoreaction. Surface tension measurement showed that the copolymers with ethenyl surface groups could self-associate in dilute aqueous solutions to form micelles.