0
selected
-
1.
Perspectives on Existing and Novel Alternative Intravaginal Probiotic Delivery Methods in the Context of Bacterial Vaginosis Infection.
Chandrashekhar, P, Minooei, F, Arreguin, W, Masigol, M, Steinbach-Rankins, JM
The AAPS journal. 2021;(3):66
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common vaginal infections that affects hundreds of millions of women of reproductive age, worldwide. Traditional treatment strategies, such as oral and topical antibiotics, have shown efficacy against BV, but frequent recurrence of infection and the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria remain as significant challenges. Alternatively, recent progress in understanding immune, microbiological, and metabolic interactions in the vaginal microbiota has prompted the consideration of administering probiotic organisms to restore and maintain vaginal health within the context of BV prevention and treatment. Given this, the objective of this review is to discuss existing and potential alternative approaches to deliver, and to potentially sustain the delivery of probiotics, to prevent and/or treat BV infections. First, a brief overview is provided regarding the probiotic species and combinatorial probiotic strategies that have shown promise in the treatment of BV and in restoring female reproductive health. Additionally, the advantages and challenges associated with current oral and intravaginal probiotic delivery platforms are discussed. Lastly, we present emerging and promising alternative dosage forms, such as electrospun fibers and 3D bioprinted scaffolds, that may be adapted as new strategies to intravaginally deliver probiotic organisms. Graphical abstract.
-
2.
Cancer therapy with iron oxide nanoparticles: Agents of thermal and immune therapies.
Soetaert, F, Korangath, P, Serantes, D, Fiering, S, Ivkov, R
Advanced drug delivery reviews. 2020;:65-83
Abstract
Significant research and preclinical investment in cancer nanomedicine has produced several products, which have improved cancer care. Nevertheless, there exists a perception that cancer nanomedicine 'has not lived up to its promise' because the number of approved products and their clinical performance are modest. Many of these analyses do not consider the long clinical history and many clinical products developed from iron oxide nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles have enjoyed clinical use for about nine decades demonstrating safety, and considerable clinical utility and versatility. FDA-approved applications of iron oxide nanoparticles include cancer diagnosis, cancer hyperthermia therapy, and iron deficiency anemia. For cancer nanomedicine, this wealth of clinical experience is invaluable to provide key lessons and highlight pitfalls in the pursuit of nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics. We review the clinical experience with systemic liposomal drug delivery and parenteral therapy of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with iron oxide nanoparticles. We note that the clinical success of injectable iron exploits the inherent interaction between nanoparticles and the (innate) immune system, which designers of liposomal drug delivery seek to avoid. Magnetic fluid hyperthermia, a cancer therapy that harnesses magnetic hysteresis heating is approved for treating humans only with iron oxide nanoparticles. Despite its successful demonstration to enhance overall survival in clinical trials, this nanotechnology-based thermal medicine struggles to establish a clinical presence. We review the physical and biological attributes of this approach, and suggest reasons for barriers to its acceptance. Finally, despite the extensive clinical experience with iron oxide nanoparticles new and exciting research points to surprising immune-modulating potential. Recent data demonstrate the interactions between immune cells and iron oxide nanoparticles can induce anti-tumor immune responses. These present new and exciting opportunities to explore additional applications with this venerable technology. Clinical applications of iron oxide nanoparticles present poignant case studies of the opportunities, complexities, and challenges in cancer nanomedicine. They also illustrate the need for revised paradigms and multidisciplinary approaches to develop and translate nanomedicines into clinical cancer care.
-
3.
Interactions between microbiome and lungs: Paving new paths for microbiome based bio-engineered drug delivery systems in chronic respiratory diseases.
Chellappan, DK, Sze Ning, QL, Su Min, SK, Bin, SY, Chern, PJ, Shi, TP, Ee Mei, SW, Yee, TH, Qi, OJ, Thangavelu, L, et al
Chemico-biological interactions. 2019;:108732
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human body is a home to thousands of microbiotas. It is defined as a community of symbiotic, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms that have existed in all exposed sites of the body, which have co-evolved with diet, lifestyle, genetic factors and immune factors. Human microbiotas have been studied for years on their effects with relation to health and diseases. METHODS Relevant published studies, literature and reports were searched from accessible electronic databases and related institutional databases. We used keywords, viz; microbiome, microbiota, microbiome drug delivery and respiratory disease. Selected articles were carefully read through, clustered, segregated into subtopics and reviewed. FINDINGS The traditional belief of sterile lungs was challenged by the emergence of culture-independent molecular techniques and the recently introduced invasive broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) sampling method. The constitution of a lung microbiome mainly depends on three main ecological factors, which include; firstly, the immigration of microbes into airways, secondly, the removal of microbes from airways and lastly, the regional growth conditions. In healthy conditions, the microbial communities that co-exist in our lungs can build significant pulmonary immunity and could act as a barrier against diseases, whereas, in an adverse way, microbiomes may interact with other pathogenic bacteriomes and viromes, acting as a cofactor in inflammation and host immune responses, which may lead to the progression of a disease. Thus, the use of microbiota as a target, and as a drug delivery system in the possible modification of a disease state, has started to gain massive attention in recent years. Microbiota, owing to its unique characteristics, could serve as a potential drug delivery system, that could be bioengineered to suit the interest. The engineered microbiome-derived therapeutics can be delivered through BC, bacteriophage, bacteria-derived lipid vesicles and microbe-derived extracellular vesicles. This review highlights the relationships between microbiota and different types of respiratory diseases, the importance of microbiota towards human health and diseases, including the role of novel microbiome drug delivery systems in targeting various respiratory diseases.
-
4.
Crosstalk between core-multishell nanocarriers for cutaneous drug delivery and antigen-presenting cells of the skin.
Edlich, A, Volz, P, Brodwolf, R, Unbehauen, M, Mundhenk, L, Gruber, AD, Hedtrich, S, Haag, R, Alexiev, U, Kleuser, B
Biomaterials. 2018;:60-70
Abstract
Owing their unique chemical and physical properties core-multishell (CMS) nanocarriers are thought to underlie their exploitable biomedical use for a topical treatment of skin diseases. This highlights the need to consider not only the efficacy of CMS nanocarriers but also the potentially unpredictable and adverse consequences of their exposure thereto. As CMS nanocarriers are able to penetrate into viable layers of normal and stripped human skin ex vivo as well as in in vitro skin disease models the understanding of nanoparticle crosstalk with components of the immune system requires thorough investigation. Our studies highlight the biocompatible properties of CMS nanocarriers on Langerhans cells of the skin as they did neither induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity nor cause reactive oxygen species (ROS) or an immunological response. Nevertheless, CMS nanocarriers were efficiently taken up by Langerhans cells via divergent endocytic pathways. Bioimaging of CMS nanocarriers by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and flow cytometry indicated not only a localization within the lysosomes but also an energy-dependent exocytosis of unmodified CMS nanocarriers into the extracellular environment.
-
5.
Exosomes in diagnostic and therapeutic applications: biomarker, vaccine and RNA interference delivery vehicle.
Lässer, C
Expert opinion on biological therapy. 2015;(1):103-17
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cells release extracellular vesicles to their surroundings to communicate with each other. Exosomes are a subgroup of 30 - 100-nm-sized extracellular vesicles, originating from the endocytic pathway. They contain RNA molecules, proteins and lipids that can be transferred between cells. Exosomes have been found in several body fluids, indicating that this is a frequently used and tolerated system for cells to communicate RNA molecules and proteins over distances. AREAS COVERED It has been shown that patients with cancer have higher concentrations of exosomes in their blood and that these exosomes can carry tumor-specific molecules. Exosomes are, therefore, currently being evaluated for their potential use as biomarkers. Additionally, exosomes have been demonstrated to have the capacity to modulate immune responses. Therefore, exosomes are believed to be beneficial as a cell-free vaccine for cancer and infections. Further, as exosomes are the body's endogenous system for transport RNA, exosomes are also evaluated for their potential use as a therapeutic RNA delivery system. This review provides an overview of studies reporting diagnostic and therapeutic potential for exosomes. EXPERT OPINION The data reviewed here suggest that exosomes have the potential to be used for both diagnosis and therapy for several diseases in the future.
-
6.
Immunostimulant properties of chemical delivery systems in vaccine development.
Hosseinzadeh, S, Bolhassani, A
Current drug delivery. 2015;(4):360-8
Abstract
One approach to improve the vaccine quality is the incorporation of immunomodulators and/or adjuvants with modified delivery systems. The use of delivery systems especially chemical carriers is a promising strategy in the prevention and treatment of infections, cancers, allergies and autoimmune diseases. These systems are able to elicit an effective immune response as well as stability and safety in vaccine development. Synthetic microparticles, liposomes, chitosan, virus like particle, polymeric nanogel, phytosome, noisome, and micro/ nanospheres have been applied as carriers, providing a broad variety of immunomodulatory effects in vaccines. The potency and nature of immune responses rely on the physicochemical properties of the vaccine constructs (e.g., size and charge), the route of injection, the biochemical characteristics and the amount of antigen. Three main steps are necessary for vaccine efficiency such as targeting, activation and transfection/ antigen presentation. These systems can generally influence the type and direction of immune responses. This review describes different vaccine delivery systems developed to generate immunomodulatory effects.
-
7.
[The biosafety of non-viral gene delivery vectors].
Yang, J, Zhu, D, Leng, X, Zhang, H, Song, L, Yao, K
Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi. 2008;(1):215-9
Abstract
The biosafety of gene delivery vectors has received much more attention in recent years. In this article, the biosafety of non-viral gene delivery vectors was mainly discussed. Recent developments in researches on toxicity, nano-effect, blood compatibility and immune response of non-viral gene delivery vectors were reviewed.
-
8.
New developments in glutamine delivery.
Fürst, P
The Journal of nutrition. 2001;(9 Suppl):2562S-8S
Abstract
Numerous studies demonstrate that free glutamine can be added to commercially available crystalline amino acid-based preparations before their administration. Instability during heat sterilization and prolonged storage and limited solubility (35 g/L at 20 degrees C) hamper the use of free glutamine in the routine clinical setting. Indeed, there are many well-controlled and valuable trials with free glutamine, yet its use is restricted to clinical research. The obvious limitations of using free glutamine initiated an intensive search for alternative substrates. Synthetic glutamine dipeptides are stable under heat sterilization and highly soluble; these properties qualify the dipeptides as suitable constituents of nutritional preparations. Industrial production of these dipeptides at a reasonable price is an essential prerequisite for implications of dipeptide-containing solutions in clinical practice. Recent development of novel synthesis procedures allows increased capacity in industrial-scale production. Basic studies with synthetic glutamine-containing short-chain peptides provide convincing evidence that these new substrates are cleared rapidly from plasma after parenteral administration, without being accumulated in tissues and with negligible loss in urine. The presence of membrane-bound as well as tissue-free extracellular hydrolase activity facilitates a prompt and quantitative peptide hydrolysis, the liberated amino acids being available for protein synthesis and/or generation of energy. In the clinical setting, glutamine dipeptide nutrition beneficially influences outcome (nitrogen balance, immunity, gut integrity, hospital stay, morbidity and mortality). The provision of conditionally indispensable glutamine should be considered a necessary replacement of a deficiency rather than a supplementation. The beneficial effects observed with glutamine dipeptide nutrition should be seen simply as a correction of disadvantages produced by the inadequacy of conventional clinical nutrition. The availability of stable dipeptide preparations certainly facilitates, for the first time, adequate amino acid nutrition of critically ill, malnourished or stressed patients in the routine clinical setting and, thus, represents a new dimension in artificial nutrition.