Mechanistic insight into human milk extracellular vesicle-intestinal barrier interactions.

Human milk extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial mother-to-baby messengers that transfer biological signals. These EVs are reported to survive digestion and transport across the intestine. The mechanisms of interaction between human milk EVs and the intestinal mucosa, including epithelial uptake remain unclear.

In Situ Self-Assembling Liver Spheroids with Synthetic Nanoscaffolds for Preclinical Drug Screening Applications.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most common reasons for acute liver failure and a major reason for the withdrawal of medications from the market. There is a growing need for advanced in vitro liver models that can effectively recapitulate hepatic function, offering a robust platform for preclinical drug screening applications. Here, we explore the potential of self-assembling liver spheroids in the presence of electrospun and cryomilled poly(caprolactone) (PCL) nanoscaffolds for use as a new preclinical drug screening tool.

pH Alteration in Plant-Mediated Green Synthesis and Its Resultant Impact on Antimicrobial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs).

Plant-mediated green synthesis is a cost-effective and eco-friendly process used to synthesize metallic nanoparticles. Experimental pH is of interest due to its ability to influence nanoparticle size and shape; however, little has been explored in comparison to the influence of this parameter on the therapeutic potential of resultant metallic nanoparticles. Our work investigated the influence of pH alternation on antimicrobial properties of plant-mediated green synthesized (using leaf extract) silver nanoparticles.

A critical review on the availability of substandard and falsified medicines online: Incidence, challenges and perspectives.

Simultaneous expansion of the Internet and increased globalisation of the pharmaceutical industry have meant medication can be accessed transnationally from both legal and illicit sources. This has coincided with the rise of substandard and falsified medicines (SFMs) online. These products fail to meet regulatory or quality standards and/or are constituted with substandard ingredients, causing undesired pharmacological effects, including possible injury and death.

Tackling the global impact of substandard and falsified and unregistered/unlicensed anti-tuberculosis medicines.

Substandard and falsified (SF) medicines are a global health challenge with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that 1 in 10 of medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are SF. Antimicrobials (i.e.

A Design Approach to Optimise Secure Remote Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing: A Proof-of-Concept Study towards Advancement in Telemedicine.

Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of healthcare services at a distance using electronic means. The incorporation of 3D printing in the telemedicine cycle could result in pharmacists designing and manufacturing personalised medicines based on the electronic prescription received. Even with the advantages of telemedicine, numerous barriers to the uptake hinder the wider uptake.

Malaria and Cancer: a critical review on the established associations and new perspectives.

Objectives: Cancer and malaria both have high incidence rates and are leading causes of mortality worldwide, especially in low and middle-income countries with reduced access to the quality healthcare. The objective of this critical review was to summarize key associations and new perspectives between the two diseases as is reported in existing literature.

Methods: A critical review of research articles published between 1st January 2000 - 1st July 2020 which yielded 1753 articles.

Hypromellose - A traditional pharmaceutical excipient with modern applications in oral and oromucosal drug delivery.

Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), also known as Hypromellose, is a traditional pharmaceutical excipient widely exploited in oral sustained drug release matrix systems. The choice of numerous viscosity grades and molecular weights available from different manufacturers provides a great variability in its physical-chemical properties and is a basis for its broad successful application in pharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing. The excellent mucoadhesive properties of HPMC predetermine its use in oromucosal delivery systems including mucoadhesive tablets and films.

Engineering of Nanofibrous Amorphous and Crystalline Solid Dispersions for Oral Drug Delivery.

Poor aqueous solubility (<0.1 mg/mL) affects a significant number of drugs currently on the market or under development. Several formulation strategies including salt formation, particle size reduction, and solid dispersion approaches have been employed with varied success.

The development of progesterone-loaded nanofibers using pressurized gyration: A novel approach to vaginal delivery for the prevention of pre-term birth.

Recent evidence has continued to support the applicability of progesterone in preventing preterm birth, hence the development of an appropriate vaginal delivery system for this drug would be of considerable interest. Here, we describe the development of progesterone-loaded bioadhesive nanofibers using pressurized gyration for potential incorporation into a vaginal insert, with a particular view to addressing the challenges of incorporating a poorly water-soluble drug into a hydrophilic nanofiber carrier. Polyethylene oxide and carboxymethyl cellulose were chosen as polymers to develop the carrier systems, based on previous evidence of their yielding mucoadhesive nanofibers using the pressurized gyration technique.

Investigating the physical stability of repackaged medicines stored into commercially available multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs).

Background: Compliance aids are devices which have been developed and are currently used to assist individuals in their medicines management. The use of compliance aids involves the transfer of medicines from the manufacturers' original packaging and repackaged into an multicompartment compliance aid (MCA). MCAs do not guarantee the same level of protection compared to manufacturer's original packaging.

Microfibrous Solid Dispersions of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs Produced via Centrifugal Spinning: Unexpected Dissolution Behavior on Recrystallization.

Temperature-controlled, solvent-free centrifugal spinning may be used as a means of rapid production of amorphous solid dispersions in the form of drug-loaded sucrose microfibers. However, due to the high content of amorphous sucrose in the formulations, such microfibers may be highly hygroscopic and unstable on storage. In this study, we explore both the effects of water uptake of the microfibers and the consequences of deliberate recrystallization for the associated dissolution profiles.

Solid microcrystalline dispersion films as a new strategy to improve the dissolution rate of poorly water soluble drugs: A case study using olanzapine.

In this study, we evaluate the dissolution rate enhancement of solid microcrystalline dispersion (SMD) films of olanzapine (OLZ) formulated with four water-soluble polymers namely poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poloxamer 188 (P188), poloxamer 407 (P407) and Soluplus(®) (SLP). Prepared formulations were characterised to determine particle size, morphology, hydrogen bonding interactions, thermal characteristics as well as in vitro dissolution studies conducted under sink conditions (pH 6.8).

Development of micro-fibrous solid dispersions of poorly water-soluble drugs in sucrose using temperature-controlled centrifugal spinning.

Solid dispersion technology represents a successful approach to addressing the bioavailability issues caused by the low aqueous solubility of many Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) Class II drugs. In this study, the use of high-yield manufacture of fiber-based dispersion is explored as an alternative approach to monolith production methods. A temperature-controlled solvent-free centrifugal spinning process was used to produce sucrose-based microfibers containing the poorly water-soluble drugs olanzapine and piroxicam (both BCS Class II); these were successfully incorporated into the microfibers and the basic characteristics of fiber diameter, glassy behavior, drug loading capacity and drug-sucrose interaction assessment were measured.

Older people's priorities in health and social care research and practice: a public engagement workshop.

Plain English Summary: A one day public engagement workshop was held to focus on the priorities of older people about research and practice in health and social care. Seventy-five older people from the general public and a variety of backgrounds attended this event to share their views and discuss what should be prioritised. The main aim of this workshop was to identify and prioritise issues that are important to older people that would benefit from further research, as well as create an environment for older people to share ideas and problems related to these important issues.

Development and Characterization of Amorphous Nanofiber Drug Dispersions Prepared Using Pressurized Gyration.

Nanofibrous systems are attracting increasing interest as a means of drug delivery, although a significant limitation to this approach has been manufacture on a scale commensurate with dosage form production. However, recent work has suggested that nanofibers may be successfully manufactured on a suitable scale using the novel process of pressurized gyration (PG). In this study, we explore the potential of PG as a novel means of generating amorphous solid dispersions of poorly water-soluble drugs with enhanced dissolution performance.

Taking the guesswork out of supplying multicompartment compliance aids: do pharmacists require further guidance on medication stability?

Objective: The purpose of this article is to identify information that is currently available to pharmacists concerning the stability of medications repackaged into multicompartment compliance aids (MCAs). This article explores the potential risks associated with repackaging medications into MCAs for pharmacists who supply and patients who use them.

Key Findings: There is a paucity of information currently available to pharmacists concerning the stability of medications repackaged into MCAs as it is not routinely provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Formation of protein and protein-gold nanoparticle stabilized microbubbles by pressurized gyration.

A one-pot single-step novel process has been developed to form microbubbles up to 250 μm in diameter using a pressurized rotating device. The microbubble diameter is shown to be a function of rotational speed and working pressure of the processing system, and a modified Rayleigh-Plesset equation has been derived to explain the bubble-forming mechanism. A parametric plot is constructed to identify a rotating speed and working pressure regime, which allows for continuous bubbling.

Generation of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) nanofibres using pressurised gyration.

The ability to generate nanofibres useful for biomedical applications at bench and at a larger scale is a significant manufacturing challenge. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to generate nanofibre meshes of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) using pressurised gyration. The effects of altering polymer molecular weight and concentration on fibre morphology and size have been investigated, with identification of minimum values for both parameters for successful fibre fabrication.