Cubosomes functionalized with antibodies as a potential strategy for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Breast cancers that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) have poor prognosis. Moreover, available chemotherapies cause numerous side effects due to poor selectivity. To advance more effective and safer therapies for HER2-positive breast cancer, we explored the fusion of drug delivery technology and immunotherapy.

The fortification of encapsulated soy isoflavones and texture modification of soy milk by α-lactalbumin nanotubes.

Nanocarriers can improve the dispersibility of hydrophobic bioactive compounds and potentially improve the texture of liquid food formulations. Here, nanotubes (NTs) with a high aspect ratio formed by self-assembly of peptides partially hydrolyzed from α-lactalbumin (α-lac) were used to deliver soy isoflavones (IFs) and modify soy milk texture. IFs encapsulated by nanotube (NT/IFs) via hydrophobic interactions, which had improved dispersibility, with a maximum loading efficiency of 4%.

Amyloid-polysaccharide interfacial coacervates as therapeutic materials.

Coacervation via liquid-liquid phase separation provides an excellent opportunity to address the challenges of designing nanostructured biomaterials with multiple functionalities. Protein-polysaccharide coacervates, in particular, offer an appealing strategy to target biomaterial scaffolds, but these systems suffer from the low mechanical and chemical stabilities of protein-based condensates. Here we overcome these limitations by transforming native proteins into amyloid fibrils and demonstrate that the coacervation of cationic protein amyloids and anionic linear polysaccharides results in the interfacial self-assembly of biomaterials with precise control of their structure and properties.

Design and Characterization of Lipid-Surfactant-Based Systems for Enhancing Topical Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Ursolic Acid.

Skin inflammation is a symptom of many skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis, which cause rashes, redness, heat, or blistering. The use of natural products with anti-inflammatory properties has gained importance in treating these symptoms. Ursolic acid (UA), a promising natural compound that is used to treat skin diseases, exhibits low aqueous solubility, resulting in poor absorption and low bioavailability.

Amyloid Fibrils Enhance the Topical Bio-Adhesivity of Liquid Crystalline Mesophase-Based Drug Formulations.

Despite their distinctive secondary structure based on cross β-strands, amyloid fibrils (AF) are stable fibrous protein aggregates with features similar to collagen, one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, and thus constitute a potential scaffold for enhancing cell adhesion for topical applications. Here, the contribution of AF to skin bio-adhesivity aiming toward topical treatments is investigated. Liquid crystalline mesophase (LCM) based on phytantriol is formulated, with the aqueous phase containing either water or a solution of 4 wt% amyloid fibrils.

Liquid crystal precursor system as a vehicle for curcumin-mediated photodynamic inactivation of oral biofilms.

Curcumin has great potential as a photosensitizer, but it has low solubility in aqueous solutions. This study reports the antimicrobial efficacy of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) mediated by a curcumin-loaded liquid crystal precursor (LCP) on in situ dental biofilms. Thirty volunteers used intraoral devices containing enamel samples for 48 hours for biofilm formation.

Potential of curcumin-loaded cubosomes for topical treatment of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. There are an estimated 570.000 new cases of cervical cancer each year and conventional treatments can cause severe side effects.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography: A fast and efficient analytical method to quantify docetaxel-loaded pegylated liposomes in release study.

Docetaxel is an anticancer that belongs to the family of taxanes and acts in the inhibition of cell proliferation through the polymerization of microtubules. The aim of this study was the development and validation of a fast method by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for quantitative analysis of docetaxel encapsulated in pegylated liposomes. The analytical method was validated for the following recognized specifications: system suitability, precision (repeatability and intermediate precision), linearity, accuracy, selectivity, detection and quantification limits, and robustness.

Innovative Mucoadhesive Precursor of Liquid Crystalline System Loading Anti-Gellatinolytic Peptide for Topical Treatment of Oral Cancer.

Current researches report an actual benefit of a treatment for oral cancer via inhibition of proteolytic matrix metallopro-teinases (MPP) with a peptide drug, called CTT1. However, peptides present poor oral bioavailability. Topical administration on oral mucosa avoids its passage through the gastrointestinal tract and the first-pass liver metabolism, but the barrier function of the oral mucosa can impair the permeation and retention of CTT1.

Chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane as a suitable in vivo model to evaluate drug delivery systems for cancer treatment: A review.

Cancer represents a significant public health problem. More than 18.1 million people are annually diagnosed with cancer and 9.

Highlights Regarding the Use of Metallic Nanoparticles against Pathogens Considered a Priority by the World Health Organization.

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics has facilitated the growing resistance of bacteria, and this has become a serious public health problem worldwide. Several microorganisms are still resistant to multiple antibiotics and are particularly dangerous in the hospital and nursing home environment, and to patients whose care requires devices, such as ventilators and intravenous catheters. A list of twelve pathogenic genera, which especially included bacteria that were not affected by different antibiotics, was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017, and the research and development of new antibiotics against these genera has been considered a priority.

Chitosan-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Optimization of Photodynamic Therapy: a Review.

Drug delivery systems (DDS) can be designed to enrich the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of several drugs. Many of the initial obstacles that impeded the clinical applications of conventional DDS have been overcome with nanotechnology-based DDS, especially those formed by chitosan (CS). CS is a linear polysaccharide obtained by the deacetylation of chitin, which has potential properties such as biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, non-toxicity, high bioavailability, simplicity of modification, aqueous solubility, and excellent chemical resistance.

A Critical Review of the Properties and Analytical Methods for the Determination of Curcumin in Biological and Pharmaceutical Matrices.

Curcumin, a natural compound extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been extensively studied because of its various pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibiotic, antiprotozoal, immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative, antitumor, and anticarcinogenic effects. However, low solubility in aqueous media has limited its therapeutic applications. To overcome these bioavailability issues, the use of drug delivery systems providing localized or targeted delivery of this drug may represent a more viable therapeutic option.

Potential of the association of dodecyl gallate with nanostructured lipid system as a treatment for paracoccidioidomycosis: In vitro and in vivo efficacy and toxicity.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America, caused by Paracoccidioides spp. A limited number of antifungal agents are available and the search for new compounds has increased. Additionally, nanostructured lipid system (NLS) has emmerged as an interesting strategy to carrier compounds for the treatment of mycosis.

A Review of Analytical Methods for p-Coumaric Acid in Plant-Based Products, Beverages, and Biological Matrices.

p-Coumaric acid (p-CA), also known as 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, is a phenolic acid, which has been widely studied due to its beneficial effects against several diseases and its wide distribution in the plant kingdom. This phenolic compound can be found in the free form or conjugated with other molecules; therefore, its bioavailability and the pathways via which it is metabolized change according to its chemical structure. p-CA has potential pharmacological effects because it has high free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and antimicrobial activities, among other biological properties.

Assessment of Chitosan-Based Hydrogel and Photodynamic Inactivation against Propionibacterium acnes.

Chitosan (CH) is a biopolymer that exhibits a number of interesting properties such as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity and is also a promising platform for the incorporation of photosensitizing agents. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial activity of chitosan hydrogel formulation alone and in combination with the methylene blue (MB) associated with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) against planktonic and biofilm phase of . Suspensions were sensitized with 12.

Metronidazole-Loaded Polyethyleneimine and Chitosan-Based Liquid Crystalline System for Treatment of Staphylococcal Skin Infections.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common gram-positive bacterium of the human skin microbiota. It is also a dangerous pathogen that can cause serious and even lethal skin infections. The topical administration of metronidazole via nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, such as liquid crystalline systems, can modulate both the drug permeation and activity, decreasing its side effects and increasing the drug potent activity against the gram-positive bacteria.

Polyethyleneimine and Chitosan Polymer-Based Mucoadhesive Liquid Crystalline Systems Intended for Buccal Drug Delivery.

The buccal mucosa is accessible, shows rapid repair, has an excellent blood supply, and shows the absence of the first-pass effect, which makes it a very attractive drug delivery route. However, this route has limitations, mainly due to the continuous secretion of saliva (0.5 to 2 L/day), which may lead to dilution, possible ingestion, and unintentional removal of the active drug.