Principles of encapsulating hydrophobic drugs in PLA/PLGA microparticles

Surface modification of PLGA particles: the interplay between stabilizer, ligand size, and hydrophobic interactions

Therapeutic and diagnostic carriers can be functionalized with active targeters to induce tissue-specific delivery. However, the possible impact of adsorbed steric stabilizer such as the frequently used poloxamers (Pluronics) on surface modification of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) particles has not been examined so far. Therefore, three model ligands of different molecular weights (653; 36,000; 155,000 g/mol) covering the size range of important targeters were conjugated to the surface of PLGA microparticles in the presence of different concentrations of Pluronic F68 (0.01-5%, w/v). Flow cytometry and fluorimetric quantification revealed for all tested ligands that high Pluronic concentrations decreased the coupling efficiency to a half or even one-third of that achieved in the absence of stabilizer. Moreover, the reduction strongly depends on the ligand size and its propensity for hydrophobic interactions. Apart from that, a high degree of particle aggregation was observed with Pluronic concentrations below 0.1% (w/v). Thus, a compromise has to be found, which combines sufficient stability with the best possible ligand coupling efficiency. For the studied system, 0.1% (w/v) turned out to be the optimum concentration of Pluronic F68.

Development of topical microbicides to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV

Women comprise almost 50% of the population of people living with HIV and the majority of these women contracted the virus through sexual transmission in monogamous relationships in the developing world. In these environments, where women are not empowered to protect themselves through the negotiation of condom use, effective means of preventing HIV transmission are urgently needed. In the absence of an approved and effective vaccine, microbicides have become the strategy of choice to provide women with the ability to prevent HIV transmission from their infected partners. Topical microbicides are agents specifically developed and formulated for use in either the vaginal or rectal environment that prevent infection by sexually transmitted infectious organisms, including pathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi. Although a microbicidal product will have many of the same properties as other anti-infective agents and would be similarly developed through human clinical trials, microbicide development bears its own challenges related to formulation and delivery and the unique environment in which the product must act, as well as the requirement to develop a product that is acceptable to the user. Herein, perspectives based on preclinical and clinical microbicide development experience, which have led to an evolving microbicide development algorithm, will be discussed. This article forms part of a special issue of Antiviral Research marking the 25th anniversary of anti-retroviral drug discovery and development, Vol 85, issue 1, 2010.

Taccalonolides: Novel microtubule stabilizers with clinical potential

Nature remains an important source for new anticancer drugs. Numerous microtubule-targeting agents currently approved or in clinical development, including paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, colchicine and combretastatin, are plant-derived compounds. The microtubule stabilizing properties of the taccalonolides were discovered as a part of a program to identify new microtubule stabilizers from natural sources. The taccalonolides are unique among all other agents in this class in that they stabilize microtubules through a mechanism of action that does not involve direct tubulin binding. Herein we review the discovery and isolation of the taccalonolides, their biological activities in vitro and in vivo and their potential advantages over clinically used microtubule stabilizers. We also discuss the challenges in formulation and supply that will need to be solved before the taccalonolides can become candidates for clinical development.

The use of nanoparticle-mediated targeted gene silencing and drug delivery to overcome tumor drug resistance

Overexpression of drug efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) enables cancer cells to develop resistance to multiple anticancer drugs. Functional inhibitors of P-gp have shown promising efficacy in early clinical trials, but their long-term safety is yet to be established. A novel approach to overcome drug resistance is to use siRNA-mediated RNA interference to silence the expression of the efflux transporter. Because P-gp plays an important role in the physiological regulation of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds in the body, it is important to deliver P-gp targeted siRNA and anticancer drug specifically to tumor cells. Further, for optimal synergy, both the drug and siRNA may need to be temporally colocalized in the tumor cells. In the current study, we investigated the effectiveness of simultaneous and targeted delivery of anticancer drug, paclitaxel, along with P-gp targeted siRNA, using poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles to overcome tumor drug resistance. Nanoparticles were surface functionalized with biotin for active tumor targeting. Dual agent nanoparticles encapsulating the combination of paclitaxel and P-gp targeted siRNA showed significantly higher cytotoxicity in vitro than nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel alone. Enhanced therapeutic efficacy of dual agent nanoparticles could be correlated with effective silencing of the MDR1 gene that encodes for P-gp and with increased accumulation of paclitaxel in drug-resistant tumor cells. In vivo studies in a mouse model of drug-resistant tumor demonstrated significantly greater inhibition of tumor growth following treatment with biotin-functionalized nanoparticles encapsulating both paclitaxel and P-gp targeted siRNA at a paclitaxel dose that was ineffective in the absence of gene silencing. These results suggest that that the combination of P-gp gene silencing and cytotoxic drug delivery using targeted nanoparticles can overcome tumor drug resistance.

A novel combination chemotherapy integrating with intratumoral chemotherapy

The effects of conventional systemic chemotherapy are very modest, while the side-effects are very severe. Thus, intratumoral chemotherapy emerges as a new adjuvant treatment modality due to its several potential advantages. However, most researchers currently select only single cytotoxic drug as model drug at present studies, while ignore the combination administration. So, we hypothesize whether we can integrate the advantages of combination chemotherapy and intratumoral chemotherapy to achieve good antitumour effectiveness and minimal systemic side-effects and resistance. We propose that several drugs based on the cancer cell cycle are reserved in the microsphere-gel. Firstly, cell cycle specific agents (CCSA) are encapsulated into microspheres, then cell cycle non-specific agents and CCSA-loaded microspheres are dispersed into pre-gel solution. Eventually the goal of sequential, intermittent and combination chemotherapy is achieved. Therefore, the hypothesis has the potential application to treat cancer owing to its advantages of targeting effect, high efficiency, low side-effects and resistance, convenience.