Beom Kang Huh

Thermosensitive hexanoyl glycol chitosan-based ocular delivery system for glaucoma therapy.

UNLABELLED Conventional eye drops quickly move away from the surface of the eye; as a result, ocular bioavailability is very limited. To overcome this issue, we developed a thermosensitive hexanoyl glycol chitosan (HGC) as a carrier for topical drug delivery to the eye. Here, we modulated the degree of N-hexanoylation to control the thermogelling behavior and prepared a new ocular formulation of HGC for glaucoma therapy. The viscosity of the aqueous formulation sharply and significantly increases at body temperature. The results from cytotoxicity evaluation showed that HGC is non-toxic at up to 1.25wt.%. In vivo experiments demonstrated that HGC is maintained on the preocular surface for a comparatively longer period of time due to its enhanced viscosity at body temperature. As a result, when brimonidine was loaded, the formulation exhibited attractive bioavailability properties as well as more prolonged period of lowered intra-ocular pressure (14h) compared with Alphagan P, the marketed medication for brimonidine treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE In this manuscript, hexanoyl glycol chitosan (HGC) was synthesized by the N-hexanoylation of glycol chitosan. We have observed that an aqueous solution of HGC exhibited a dramatic increase in viscosity as the temperature increased. The HGC-based formulation showed prolonged retention on the preocular surface and enhanced drug availability and efficacy.

Application of materials as medical devices with localized drug delivery capabilities for enhanced wound repair

The plentiful assortment of natural and synthetic materials can be leveraged to accommodate diverse wound types, as well as different stages of the healing process. An ideal material is envisioned to promote tissue repair with minimal inconvenience for patients. Traditional materials employed in the clinical setting often invoke secondary complications, such as infection, pain, foreign body reaction, and chronic inflammation. This review surveys the repertoire of surgical sutures, wound dressings, surgical glues, orthopedic fixation devices and bone fillers with drug eluting capabilities. It highlights the various techniques developed to effectively incorporate drugs into the selected material or blend of materials for both soft and hard tissue repair. The mechanical and chemical attributes of the resultant materials are also discussed, along with their biological outcomes in vitro and/or in vivo. Perspectives and challenges regarding future research endeavors are also delineated for next-generation wound repair materials.

Sinonasal Delivery of Resveratrol via Mucoadhesive Nanostructured Microparticles in a Nasal Polyp Mouse Model

Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to effectively suppress chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in a mouse model; however, when locally administered to the sinonasal cavity, bolus RSV is limited by low drug bioavailability owing to its low aqueous solubility and relatively rapid clearance from the administration site. To address this limitation, we propose mucoadhesive nanostructured microparticles (PLGA/PEG NM) as a potential carrier for the sinonasal delivery of RSV. In this study, PLGA/PEG NM released RSV in a sustained manner. Owing to the enlarged specific surface area of the nanostructures, PLGA/PEG NM had synergistically enhanced mucoadhesiveness and thus showed improved in vivo retention properties in the sinonasal cavity. Therefore, when tested in a mouse nasal polyp model, PLGA/PEG NM mitigated polyp formation and restored epithelial integrity better than the control treatments. The therapeutic effect was similar at half the dose of PLGA/PEG NM, suggesting improved local bioavailability of RSV in the sinonasal cavity.

Enhanced ocular efficacy of topically-delivered dorzolamide with nanostructured mucoadhesive microparticles

Dorzolamide eye drops are widely prescribed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in the treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. However, in an eye drop formulation, dorzolamide is rapidly cleared from the preocular space, hence requiring multiple daily administrations. Here, we sought to increase the preocular retention of dorzolamide using nanostructured, mucoadhesive microparticles (MUCO_NM) as carriers for topical delivery to the eye. MUCO_NM were prepared by freeze-milling dorzolamide-loaded, electrospun nanofibers composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and polyethylene glycol. The microparticles were embedded in a rapidly-dissolving tablet of polyvinyl alcohol. To assess in vivo efficacy, the MUCO_NM were administered topically to the eyes of rabbits, and IOP was measured and compared to that in eyes treated with Trusopt®, a marketed eye drop of dorzolamide. The MUCO_NM showed a 35% greater maximum IOP decrease and a>2-fold increase in the duration of the IOP decrease, compared to Trusopt®. This enhanced efficacy was comparable to that obtained with a single administration of 4 drops of Trusopt® or 2 administrations of Trusopt® at a 4-h interval. Our findings suggest that this MUCO_NM preparation is a promising carrier for topical delivery of dorzolamide to the eye, with enhanced drug efficacy and the potential to reduce administration frequency.

Surgical suture braided with a diclofenac-loaded strand of poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) for local, sustained pain mitigation

In this work, we propose a surgical suture that can sustainably release diclofenac (DF) for the local pain relief of surgical wounds. We separately fabricated a DF-loaded strand composed of a biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), which was then braided with a surgical suture already in clinical use, i.e., VICRYL™. In this way, the drug-delivery suture presented herein could release DF in a sustained manner for 10days while maintaining the mechanical strength needed for wound closure. According to the in vivo results of an induced-pain animal model, the drug-delivery suture mitigated pain throughout the period of persistent pain. The histological analysis of tissue around the sutures showed that the drug-delivery suture exhibited biocompatibility comparable to that of the VICRYL™ suture in clinical use.

Nanoparticle coating on the silane-modified surface of magnesium for local drug delivery and controlled corrosion

In this study, we proposed a potential method for the preparation of a magnesium-based medical device for local drug delivery and controlled corrosion. A magnesium surface was modified with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxy silane, and the resulting surface was then coated with drug-loaded nanoparticles made of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) via electrophoretic deposition. The drug-loaded nanoparticles (i.e., Tr_NP) exhibited a size of 250 ± 67 nm and a negative zeta potential of −20.9 ± 2.75 mV. The drug was released from the nanoparticles in a sustained manner for 21 days, and this did not change after their coating on the silane-modified magnesium. The silane-modified surface suppressed magnesium corrosion. When immersed in phosphate buffered saline at pH 7.4, the average rate of hydrogen gas generation was 0.41–0.45 ml/cm2/day, compared to 0.58–0.6 ml/cm2/day from a bare magnesium surface. This corrosion profile was not significantly changed after nanoparticle coating under the conditions employed in this work. The in vitro cell test revealed that the drug released from the coating was effective during the whole release period of 21 days, and both the silane-modified surface and carrier nanoparticles herein were not cytotoxic.

Amino-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Particles for Ocular Delivery of Brimonidine

To treat glaucoma, conventional eye drops are often prescribed. However, the eye drops have limited effectiveness as a result of low drug bioavailability due to their rapid clearance from the preocular space. To resolve this, we proposed amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (AMS) particles as delivery carriers of the glaucoma drug, brimonidine. Because of the presence of mesopores, brimonidine (BMD) could be encapsulated in the AMS with a loading amount of 41.73 μg/mg (i.e., drug loading capacity of about 4.17%) to give the BMD-AMS, which could release the drug in a sustained manner over 8 h. BMD-AMS was also shown to be mucoadhesive due to the presence of both hydroxyl and amino groups in the surface, allowing for formation of hydrogen bonds and an ionic complex with the mucin, respectively. Therefore, when topically administered to rabbit eyes in vivo, BMD-AMS could reside in the preocular space for up to 12 h because of its adherence to the mucous layer. To assess in vivo efficacy, we examined the variance in intraocular pressure (IOP) and brimonidine concentration in the aqueous humor (AH) after applying BMD-AMS to the eye, which was compared with that induced by Alphagan P, the marketed brimonidine eye drops. For BMD-AMS, the duration in the decrease in IOP and the area under the drug concentration in the AH-time curve (AUC) were 12 h and 2.68 μg·h/mL, respectively, which were about twice as large as those obtained with Alphagan P; this finding indicated enhanced ocular bioavailability of brimonidine with BMD-AMS.

Metal-organic frameworks, NH2-MIL-88(Fe), as carriers for ophthalmic delivery of brimonidine.

We have proposed a metal-organic framework (MOF), NH2-MIL-88(Fe), as a novel carrier for topical drug delivery to the eye. The NH2-MIL-88(Fe) particles were prepared via a solvothermal synthesis method and their structure was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, electron microscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. When brimonidine, an anti-glaucoma medicine, was encapsulated into NH2-MIL(Fe)-88 (i.e., NH2-MIL-88(Fe)/Br), the drug was loaded at 121.3 µg/mg and released in a sustained manner for up to 12 h. The NH2-MIL-88(Fe)/Br exhibited mucoadhesive properties and remained on rabbit eyes for a period of up to 4 h. Consequently, a high concentration of brimonidine was found in tears for a prolonged period after the administration of NH2-MIL-88(Fe)/Br, which resulted in a greater than two-fold increase in drug bioavailability and activity period compared with those of Alphagan P, which are brimonidine eye drops already approved for clinical use. Hence, NH2-MIL-88(Fe) is suggested to be a promising carrier for topical delivery to the eye that provides enhanced bioavailability of ocular drugs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE We suggest NH2-MIL(Fe)-88, a type of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as delivery carriers of an ophthalmic drug, brimonidine. The NH2-MIL(Fe)-88 particles possess a mucoadhesive property, hence prolonged retention in the preocular space when topically administered to the eye. The particles can also encapsulate the drug in their micro-pores, through which the drug can be released in a sustained manner. Therefore, when tested to rabbit eyes in vivo, the drug-loaded NH2-MIL(Fe)-88 particles were shown to enhance the ocular drug bioavailability, as compared with Alphagan P, the marketed eye drops of brimonidine.