Marta Pastor

A novel strategy for the treatment of chronic wounds based on the topical administration of rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles: In vitro bioactivity and in vivo effectiveness in healing-impaired db/db mice.

Lipid nanoparticles are currently receiving increasing interest because they permit the topical administration of proteins, such as recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF), in a sustained and effective manner. Because chronic wounds have become a major healthcare burden, the topical administration of rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles, namely solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carries (NLC), appears to be an interesting and suitable strategy for the treatment of chronic wounds. Both rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles were prepared through the emulsification-ultrasonication method; however, the NLC-rhEGF preparation did not require the use of any organic solvents. The characterisation of the nanoparticles (NP) revealed that the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of NLC-rhEGF was significantly greater than obtained with SLN-rhEGF. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that gamma sterilisation is a suitable process for the final sterilisation because no loss in activity was observed after the sterilisation process. In addition, the proliferation assays revealed that the bioactivity of the nanoformulations was even higher than that of free rhEGF. Finally, the effectiveness of the rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles was assayed in a full-thickness wound model in db/db mice. The data demonstrated that four topical administrations of SLN-rhEGF and NLC-rhEGF significantly improved healing in terms of wound closure, restoration of the inflammatory process, and re-epithelisation grade. In addition, the data did not reveal any differences in the in vivo effectiveness between the different rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles. Overall, these findings demonstrate the promising potential of rhEGF-loaded lipid nanoparticles, particularly NLC-rhEGF, for the promotion of faster and more effective healing and suggest their future application for the treatment of chronic wounds.

A new oral vaccine candidate based on the microencapsulation by spray-drying of inactivated Vibrio cholerae

The aim of this work was to evaluate the microencapsulation by spray-drying of inactivated Vibrio cholerae, using methacrylic copolymers Eudragit® L30D-55 and FS30D. The microparticles obtained presented a particle size around 3.0 μm. The preparation temperature affected the morphology and the antigenicity of microparticles, but it did not affect the V. cholerae content. In vitro release studies showed that in acid medium less than 5% of bacteria was released, and in neutral medium, Eudragit® L30D-55 microparticles released 86% after 24 h, whereas FS30D released less than 30%. Rats inoculated with microparticles exhibited vibriocidal antibody titres. Microencapsulation by spray-drying of inactivated V. cholerae could be proposed as a method to obtain an oral vaccine which provides controlled release of the bacteria.

The state-of-the-art of approved and under-development cholera vaccines.

Cholera remains a huge public health problem. Although in 1894, the first cholera vaccination was reported, an ideal vaccine that meets all the requirements of the WHO has not yet been produced. Among the different approaches used for cholera vaccination, attenuated vaccines represent a major category; these vaccines are beneficial in being able to induce a strong protective response after a single administration. However, they have possible negative effects on immunocompromised patient populations. Both the licensed CVD103-HgR and other vaccine approaches under development are detailed in this article, such as the Vibrio cholerae 638 vaccine candidate, Peru-15 or CholeraGarde(®) and the VA1.3, VA1.4, IEM 108 VCUSM2 and CVD 112 vaccine candidates. In another strategy, killed V. cholerae vaccines have been developed, including Dukoral(®), mORCAX(®) and Sanchol™. The killed vaccines are already sold, and they have successfully demonstrated their potential to protect populations in endemic areas or after natural disasters. However, these vaccines do not fulfill all the requirements of the WHO because they fail to confer long-term protection, are not suitable for children under two years, require more than a single dose and require a distribution chain with cold storage. Lastly, other vaccine strategies under development are summarized in this review. Among these strategies, vaccine candidates based on alternative drug delivery systems that have been reported lately in the literature are discussed, such as microparticles, proteoliposomes, LPS subunits, DNA vaccines and rice seeds containing toxin subunits. Preliminary results reported by many groups working on alternative delivery systems for cholera vaccines demonstrate the importance of new technologies in addressing old problems such as cholera. Although a fully ideal vaccine has not yet been designed, promising steps have been reported in the literature resulting in hope for the fight against cholera.

Sodium colistimethate loaded lipid nanocarriers for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections associated with cystic fibrosis

Lung impairment is the most life-threatening factor for cystic fibrosis patients. Indeed, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the main pathogen in the pulmonary infection of these patients. In this work, we developed sodium colistimethate loaded lipid nanoparticles, namely, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), as a strategy to enhance the antimicrobial therapy against P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. The nanoparticles obtained displayed a 200-400 nm size, high drug entrapment (79-94%) and a sustained drug release profile. Moreover, both SLN and NLC presented antimicrobial activity against clinically isolated P. aeruginosa. The integrity of the nanoparticles was not affected by nebulization through a mesh vibrating nebulizer. Moreover, lipid nanoparticles appeared to be less toxic than free sodium colistimethate in cell culture. Finally, an in vivo distribution experiment showed that nanoparticles spread homogenously through the lung and there was no migration of lipid nanoparticles to other organs, such as liver, spleen or kidneys.

Pulmonary delivery of tobramycin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections associated with cystic fibrosis.

Among the pathogens that affect cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most prevalent. As a way to fight against this infection, nanotechnology has emerged over the last decades as a promising alternative to overcome resistance to antibiotics in infectious diseases. The goal of this work was to elaborate and characterize lipid nanoparticles for pulmonary delivery of tobramycin. Tobramycin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (Tb-NLCs) were prepared by hot melt homogenization technique. In addition, nanoparticles labeled with infrared dye (IR-NLCs) were used to investigate their in vivo performance after pulmonary administration. Tb-NLCs displayed a mean diameter size around 250 nm, high drug encapsulation (93%) and sustained release profile. Tb-NLCs showed to be active against clinically isolated P. aeruginosa. Moreover, Tb-NLCs did not decrease cell viability and were able to overcome an artificial mucus barrier in the presence of mucolytics agents. During the in vivo assay, IR-NLCs were administered to several mice by the intratracheal route using a Penn Century device. Next, the biodistribution of the nanoparticles was analyzed at different time points showing a wide nanosystem distribution in the lungs. Altogether, tobramycin-loaded NLCs seem to us an encouraging alternative to the currently available CF therapies.

An approach to a cold chain free oral cholera vaccine: in vitro and in vivo characterization of Vibrio cholerae gastro-resistant microparticles

The present work describes the formulation of Eudragit(®) L30 D-55 microparticles (MP) alone or with mucoadhesive agents, alginate or Carbopol(®), as an approach for the development of an oral cholera vaccine. In the first part, a spray drying technique was optimized for microparticle elaboration, obtaining a microparticle size ranging from 7 to 9 μm with high encapsulation efficiencies. Moreover, gastro resistant properties and Vibrio cholerae (VC) antigenicity were maintained, but for Eudragit(®)-Carbopol(®) microparticles which showed low antigenicity values, ≈25%. Next, a stability study was performed following ICH Q1 A (R2) guidelines, i.e. 25°C-60% relative humidity (RH) for 12 months, and 30°C-65% RH and 40°C-75% RH for 6 months. Upon storage, microparticle size changed slightly, 1 μm for Eudragit(®)-alginate MPs and 0.36 μm for Eudragit(®)MP. However, gastro resistance and antigenicity values were kept in an acceptance range. In the third stage of this work, in vivo experiments were performed. The immune response evoked was measured by means of vibriocidal titer quantification, observing that Eudragit(®)-alginate MPs were able to induce stronger immune responses, comparable to the free VC. Therefore, microencapsulation of VC by spray drying could be proposed as an approach to a cold chain free and effective oral cholera vaccine.

Pulmonary drug delivery: a review on nanocarriers for antibacterial chemotherapy

As the WHO stated, lower respiratory infections are the third leading cause of death. In addition, it is remarkable that antimicrobial resistance represents a huge threat. Thus, new therapeutic weapons are required. Among the possible alternatives, antibiotic encapsulation in nanoparticles has gained much attention in terms of improved tolerability, activity and ability to combat the resistance mechanisms of bacteria. In this regard, this review article focuses on the latest nanocarrier approaches for inhalatory therapy of antibiotics. First, the technology related to lung disposition will be reviewed. Then, nanocarrier systems will be introduced and the challenges required to perform adequate pulmonary deposition analysed. In the following part, drug delivery systems (DDSs) on the market or in clinical trials are described and, finally, new approaches of nanoparticles that have reached pre-clinical stage are enumerated. Altogether, this review aims at gathering together the novel nanosystems for anti-infectious therapy, underlining the potential of DDSs to improve and optimize currently available antibiotic therapies in the context of lung infections.

The Use of Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Delivery

Many currently used antibiotics suffer from some drawbacks such as local and systemic side effects, inadequate therapeutic index, and high antimicrobial resistance to bacteria. Since the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, new antibiotic approaches are required. In recent years, nanotechnology has appeared as a successful tool for the encapsulation of antibiotics into nanoparticles (NPs) aiming to treat bacterial infections and overcoming, at the same time, some of the limitations of traditional antimicrobial therapeutics. Drug delivery systems (DDS) provide several advantages over the free drug such as protection from environmental inactivation and specific target site that can lead to an improvement in the treatment of such diseases. Moreover, NPs can overcome tissue and cellular barriers, thereby can treat infections caused by intracellular microorganisms. NPs are capable of reducing drug dose and toxicity as well as dosing frequency which improve patient compliance. Many nanostructures including liposomes, nanoparticles, or dendrimers have demonstrated their ability to increase the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics and fight against infectious diseases. In this chapter we provide an overview of the current progress of the latest nanosystems developed to delivery antibiotics to combat microbial infection.

Biomedical Applications of Immobilized Enzymes: An Update

Immobilized enzymes have been widely studied during the last few decades. Biocatalyst systems may work as biosensors or may be used for the treatment of different diseases. This chapter presents different attempts to immobilize enzymes in the biomedical field, particularly the use of prolidase and superoxide dismutase as two examples of this approach. Although this chapter focuses on liposomes and nanoparticles for the entrapment of these enzymes, the methods detailed here could be adapted for the immobilization of other enzymes with therapeutic purposes.