Evaluation of Dutasteride-Loaded Liposomes and Transfersomes for Follicular-Targeting for Androgenic Alopecia Topical Treatment.

Although androgenic alopecia is the most prevalent among non-cicatricial alopecia, it still lacks an effective and safe treatment. Dutasteride (DUT) shows promising results in hair regrowth; however, oral DUT intake causes serious sexual adverse events. Hence, we produced liposomes with different bilayer structures and evaluated the capability of such systems in increasing DUT accumulation in the hair follicles.

Utilizing an Ex Vivo Skin Penetration Analysis Model for Predicting Ocular Drug Penetration: A Feasibility Study with Curcumin Formulations.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using the digital image processing technique, developed to semi-quantitatively study dermal penetration, to study corneal penetration in an ex vivo porcine eye model. Here, we investigated various formulation strategies intended to enhance dermal and corneal bioavailability of the model hydrophobic drug, curcumin.

Methods: Several formulation principles were explored, including oily solutions, oily suspensions, aqueous nanosuspension, micelles, liposomes and cyclodextrins.

Development of transferosomes for topical ocular drug delivery of curcumin.

Background: Transferosomes (TFS) are ultra-deformable elastic bilayer vesicles that have previously been used to enhance gradient driven penetration through the skin. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of TFS for topical ocular drug delivery and to compare their penetration enhancing properties in different ocular tissues.

Methods: Curcumin-loaded TFS were prepared using Tween 80 as the edge activator.

Applying Different Conditions in the OphthalMimic Device Using Polymeric and Hydrogel-Based Hybrid Membranes to Evaluate Gels and Nanostructured Ophthalmic Formulations.

The OphthalMimic is a 3D-printed device that simulates human ocular conditions with artificial lacrimal flow, cul-de-sac area, moving eyelid, and a surface to interact with ophthalmic formulations. All tests with such a device have used a continuous artificial tear flow rate of 1 mL/min for 5 min. Here, we implemented protocol variations regarding the application time and simulated tear flow to increase the test's discrimination and achieve reliable performance results.

Hydrogel-based hybrid membrane enhances in vitro ophthalmic drug evaluation in the OphthalMimic device.

Envisaging to improve the evaluation of ophthalmic drug products while minimizing the need for animal testing, our group developed the OphthalMimic device, a 3D-printed device that incorporates an artificial lacrimal flow, a cul-de-sac area, a moving eyelid, and a surface that interacts effectively with ophthalmic formulations, thereby providing a close representation of human ocular conditions. An important application of such a device would be its use as a platform for dissolution/release tests that closely mimic in vivo conditions. However, the surface that artificially simulates the cornea should have a higher resistance (10 min) than the previously described polymeric films (5 min).

OphthalMimic: A new alternative apparatus without animal tissue for the evaluation of topical ophthalmic drug products.

The necessity of animal-free performance tests for novel ophthalmic formulation screening is challenging. For this, we developed and validated a new device to simulate the dynamics and physical-chemical barriers of the eye for in vitro performance tests of topic ophthalmic formulations. The OphthalMimic is a 3D-printed device with an artificial lacrimal flow, a cul-de-sac area, a support base, and a simulated cornea comprised of a polymeric membrane containing poly-vinyl alcohol 10 % (w/v), gelatin 2.

Dynamic Ex Vivo Porcine Eye Model to Measure Ophthalmic Drug Penetration under Simulated Lacrimal Flow.

Animal models are still used in the research and development of ophthalmic drug products, mainly due to the difficulty in simulating natural physiological conditions with in vitro models, as there is a lack of dynamic protection mechanisms. Therefore, developing alternative ophthalmic models that evaluate drug penetration in the cornea while applying dynamic protection barriers is a contemporary challenge. This study aimed to develop a dynamic ex vivo model using porcine eyes with a simulated lacrimal flow to evaluate the performance of pharmaceutical drug products.

In Vitro Performance Analysis of a Minoxidil Thermosensitive Gel with Reduced Runoff for Eyebrow Hair Growth.

There is a growing interest in innovative products for eyebrow hair loss treatment with fewer adverse effects. Nevertheless, a fundamental formulation aspect of preventing the fragile skin from the ocular region from being irritated is that the formulations remain restricted to the application region and do not run off. Consequently, the methods and protocols in drug delivery scientific research must be adapted to fulfill such performance analysis demand.

α-Cyclodextrin-based poly(pseudo)rotaxane for antifungal drug delivery to the vaginal mucosa.

This work aimed to evaluate poly(pseudo)rotaxanes (PPRs) potential for vaginal antifungal delivery. For this, PPRs containing terbinafine (TB) 2 % were obtained using two small surfactants, Kolliphor® RH40 and Gelucire® 48/16, and different α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) concentrations (5 and 10 %). PPRs were characterized by their physicochemical characteristics, irritation, and mucoadhesion capabilities.

Skin Regenerative Potential of Cupuaçu Seed Extract (), a Native Fruit from the Amazon: Development of a Topical Formulation Based on Chitosan-Coated Nanocapsules.

Scarless skin regeneration is a challenge in regenerative medicine. Herein, we explore the regenerative potential of a Cupuaçu seed extract () to develop an innovative skin regeneration formulation based on chitosan-coated nanocapsules. Cupuaçu seed extract significantly stimulated cell proliferation and migration.