Curcumin and doxorubicin encapsulated in biocompatible clay-based nanomaterial: A strategy to overcome multidrug resistance.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) due to the overexpression of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump remains a significant challenge in cancer therapy, also in breast cancer. Traditional pharmacological approaches have focused on using inhibitors to modulate P-gp expression and function. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from Curcuma longa L.

Halloysite Nanotube-Based Delivery of Pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidine Derivatives for Prostate and Bladder Cancer Treatment.

Background/objectives: The development of therapies targeting unregulated Src signaling through selective kinase inhibition using small-molecule inhibitors presents a significant challenge for the scientific community. Among these inhibitors, pyrazolo[3,4-]pyrimidine heterocycles have emerged as potent agents; however, their clinical application is hindered by low solubility in water. To overcome this limitation, some carrier systems, such as halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), can be used.

Smart copper-doped clays in biomimetic microparticles for wound healing and infection control.

Chronic wounds are non-healing lesions characterized by a high degree of inflammation, posing significant challenges in clinical management due to the increased risk of severe infection. This study focuses on developing a powder for cutaneous application to enhance the healing and prevent infections in chronic wounds. The smart nanocomposites-based biomimetic microparticles here developed combine the properties of chitosan and of clays and represent a significant innovation in the field of biomaterials for skin regeneration since they possess enhanced antimicrobial properties, are multi-functional scaffolds and promote cell proliferation, support tissue reconstruction by mimicking the natural extracellular matrix, and provide hemostatic properties to control bleeding during wound closure.

The Use of Organoclays as Excipient for Metformin Delivery: Experimental and Computational Study.

This work combines experimental and computational modeling studies for the preparation of a composite of metformin and an organoclay, examining the advantages of a Tunisian clay used for drug delivery applications. The clay mineral studied is a montmorillonite-like smectite (Sm-Na), and the organoclay derivative (HDTMA-Sm) was used as a drug carrier for metformin hydrochloride (MET). In order to assess the MET loading into the clays, these materials were characterized by means of cation exchange capacity assessment, specific surface area measurement, and with the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy.

Design of innovative and low-cost dopamine-biotin conjugate sensor for the efficient detection of protein and cancer cells.

The rapid, precise identification and quantification of specific biomarkers, toxins, or pathogens is currently a key strategy for achieving more efficient diagnoses. Herein a dopamine-biotin monomer was synthetized and oxidized in the presence of hexamethylenediamine, to obtain adhesive coatings based on polydopamine-biotin (PDA-BT) on different materials to be used in targeted molecular therapy. Insight into the structure of the PDA-BT coating was obtained by solid-state C NMR spectroscopy acquired, for the first time, directly onto the coating, deposited on alumina spheres.

Nanoclay-Doped Electrospun Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering: Investigation on the Structural Modifications in Physiological Environment.

Background: Clay minerals are nanomaterials that have recently been recognized as enabling excipients that can promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. When nanoclays are loaded in a 3D polymeric nanostructure, the cell-substrate interaction is enhanced, and other bioactive properties are optimized.

Purpose: In this study, hectorite (HEC)- and montmorillonite (MMT)-doped polymeric scaffolds were explored for the treatment of deep and chronic skin lesions.

Environmentally Friendly Strategies for Formulating Vegetable Oil-Based Nanoparticles for Anticancer Medicine.

The development of green synthesized polymeric nanoparticles with anticancer studies has been an emerging field in academia and the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Vegetable oils are potential substitutes for petroleum derivatives, as they present a clean and environmentally friendly alternative and are available in abundance at relatively low prices. Biomass-derived chemicals can be converted into monomers with a unique structure, generating materials with new properties for the synthesis of sustainable monomers and polymers.

Investigation into Brazilian Palygorskite for Its Potential Use as Pharmaceutical Excipient: Perspectives and Applications.

Palygorskite is an aluminum and magnesium silicate characterized by its fibrous morphology, providing it with great versatility in industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals. Although most of the reserves are in the United States, in recent years occurrences of commercially exploited deposits in Brazil have been recorded, mainly in the country's northeast region. This has motivated this study, which analyzes raw Brazilian palygorskite compared to a commercial sample (Pharmasorb colloidal) to demonstrate its pharmaceutical potential.

Biocomposite for Prolonged Release of Water-Soluble Drugs.

This study aimed to develop a prolonged-release system based on palygorskite and chitosan, which are natural ingredients widely available, affordable, and accessible. The chosen model drug was ethambutol (ETB), a tuberculostatic drug with high aqueous solubility and hygroscopicity, which is incompatible with other drugs used in tuberculosis therapy. The composites loaded with ETB were obtained using different proportions of palygorskite and chitosan through the spray drying technique.

Natural and Synthetic Clay Minerals in the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Fields.

Clay minerals are historically among the most used materials with a wide variety of applications. In pharmaceutical and biomedical fields, their healing properties have always been known and used in pelotherapy and therefore attractive for their potential. In recent decades, the research has therefore focused on the systematic investigation of these properties.

Zeolites as Ingredients of Medicinal Products.

Development of new medicinal products for particular therapeutic treatment or for better manipulations with better quality and less side effects are possible as a result of advanced inorganic and organic materials application, among which zeolites, due to their properties and versatility, have been gaining attention. This paper is an overview of the development in the use of zeolite materials and their composites and modifications as medicinal products for several purposes such as active agents, carriers, for topical treatments, oral formulations, anticancer, the composition of theragnostic systems, vaccines, parenteral dosage forms, tissue engineering, etc. The objective of this review is to explore the main properties of zeolites and associate them with their drug interaction, mainly addressing the advances and studies related to the use of zeolites for different types of treatments due to their zeolite characteristics such as molecule storage capacity, physical and chemical stability, cation exchange capacity, and possibility of functionalization.

Cerium Oxide and Chondroitin Sulfate Doped Polyurethane Scaffold to Bridge Tendons.

Tendon disorders are common medical conditions, which can be greatly debilitating as they are often accompanied by great pain and inflammation. The techniques used nowadays for the treatment of chronic tendon injuries often involve surgery. However, one critical aspect of this procedure involves the scar tissue, characterized by mechanical properties that vary from healthy tissue, rendering the tendons inclined to reinjury or rupture.

Bentonite- and Palygorskite-Based Gels for Topical Drug Delivery Applications.

Bentonite or palygorskite-based hydrogels have recently been suggested as a strategy to increase bioavailability and control the retention and release of therapeutic candidates. In this work, clay-based hydrogels loaded with diclofenac acid nanocrystals have been successfully designed and developed. The aim was to improve diclofenac solubility, its dissolution rate and to enhance its local bioavailability after topical application.

Antioxidant Efficacy and "In Vivo" Safety of a Bentonite/Vitamin C Hybrid.

L-ascorbic acid (LAA), commonly known as vitamin C, is an excellent and recognized antioxidant molecule used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. Several strategies have been developed in order to preserve its chemical stability, connected with its antioxidant power, but there is little research regarding the employment of natural clays as LAA host. A safe bentonite (Bent)-which was verified by in vivo ophthalmic irritability and acute dermal toxicity assays-was used as carrier of LAA.

219Three-dimensional printing as a cutting-edge, versatile and personalizable vascular stent manufacturing procedure: Toward tailor-made medical devices.

Vascular stents (VS) have revolutionized the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, as evidenced by the fact that the implantation of VS in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients has become a routine, easily approachable surgical intervention for the treatment of stenosed blood vessels. Despite the evolution of VS throughout the years, more efficient approaches are still required to address the medical and scientific challenges, especially when it comes to peripheral artery disease (PAD). In this regard, three-dimensional (3D) printing is envisaged as a promising alternative to upgrade VS by optimizing the shape, dimensions and stent backbone (crucial for optimal mechanical properties), making them customizable for each patient and each stenosed lesion.

Conventional and PEGylated Liposomes as Vehicles of .

Traditional medicine uses resin oils extracted from plants of the genus for several purposes. Resin oils are being studied to understand and profile their pharmacological properties. The aim of this work was to prepare and to characterize conventional and pegylated liposomes incorporating resin oils or the hexanic extract obtained from (copaiba) leaves.

Experimental and Computational Study for the Design of Sulfathiazole Dosage Form with Clay Mineral.

Sulfathiazole is an antimicrobial belonging to the family of sulfonamides, which were the first antibiotics to be discovered. Sulfathiazole is generally administered orally, and its main disadvantage is that it has low aqueous solubility, requiring high doses for its administration. This fact has led to side effects and the generation of bacterial resistance to the drug over time.

Montmorillonite-Rifampicin Nanohybrid for pH-Responsive Release of the Tuberculostatic.

The present work describes the development of a hybrid and pH-responsive system for rifampicin using the clay mineral 'montmorillonite' as a nanocarrier. The influence of operational variables on the drug incorporation process was evaluated using 2 factorial designs. Under optimized conditions, the experiment allowed an incorporated drug dose equivalent to 98.

Electrospun Scaffolds Based on Poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) for Tendon Tissue Engineering.

Tendon disorders are common medical conditions that could lead to significant disability, pain, healthcare costs, and a loss of productivity. Traditional approaches require long periods of treatment, and they largely fail due to the tissues weakening and the postoperative alterations of the normal joint mechanics. To overcome these limitations, innovative strategies for the treatment of these injuries need to be explored.

Design and development of polydioxanone scaffolds for skin tissue engineering manufactured via green process.

Fiber spinning technologies attracted a great interest since the beginning of the last century. Among these, electrospinning is a widely diffuse technique; however, it presents some drawbacks such as low fiber yield, high energy demand and the use of organic solvents. On the contrary, centrifugal spinning is a more sustainable method and allows to obtain fiber using centrifugal force and melted materials.

Aloe vera and copaiba oleoresin-loaded chitosan films for wound dressings: microbial permeation, cytotoxicity, and in vivo proof of concept.

Chitosan films are commonly used for wound dressing, provided that this polymer has healing, mucoadhesiveness and antimicrobial properties. These properties can be further reinforced by the combination of chitosan with polysaccharides and glycoproteins present in aloe vera, together with copaiba oleoresin's pharmacological activity attributed to sesquiterpenes. In this work, we developed chitosan films containing either aloe vera, copaiba oil or both, by casting technique, and evaluated their microbial permeation, antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, and in vivo healing potential in female adult rats.

pH-responsive phthalate cashew gum nanoparticles for improving drugs delivery and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi efficacy.

Nanotechnology is a crucial technology in recent years has resulted in new and creative applications of nanomedicine. Polymeric nanoparticles have increasing demands in pharmaceutical applications and require high reproducibility, homogeneity, and control over their properties. Work explores the use of cashew phthalate gum (PCG) as a particle-forming polymer.

Clay-Based Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Vehicles of Curcumin Nanocrystals for Topical Application.

The poor water solubility of a significant number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) remains one of the main challenges in the drug development process, causing low bioavailability and therapeutic failure of drug candidates. Curcumin is a well-known Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class IV drug, characterized by lipophilicity and low permeability, which hampers topical bioavailability. Given these premises, the aim of this work was the design and the development of curcumin nanocrystals and their incorporation into natural inorganic hydrogels for topical application.