An oral liraglutide nanomicelle formulation conferring reduced insulin-resistance and long-term hypoglycemic and lipid metabolic benefits

The Transformative Role of Nanotechnology in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Insights from Current Research

Nanotechnology refers to the science that modulates molecules to the nanoscale dimension. Nanomedicine, i.e., the utilization of nanotechnology for diagnosing and treating several disorders, is a subject of ongoing research. The concept behind nanomedicine in diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment stems from the need to ameliorate absorption and distribution of antidiabetic therapies in order to overcome barriers, namely the pH throughout the gastrointestinal tract, the gut microbiota, the temperature/heat and the difficulties in the incorporation of drugs into the cells. Thus, the scope of nanomedicine is particularly challenging and demanding, considering the fact that the human body is a perpetually changing entity in order to achieve homeostasis. In this review, we will delve into various nanoparticles that are being studied in terms of antidiabetic treatment, their pros and cons and the expanding knowledge in this field. Despite the fact that nanomedicine seems to be very promising, there are still many gaps in our understanding of how the human body addresses its utilization. Moreover, its high costs, along with an as-yet unclear safety profile, remain a significant barrier to widespread adoption. In this review, we will describe both phytochemicals and chemical compounds that nanomedicine seeks to exploit in order to pave the way for a more efficacious and comprehensive management of diabetes mellitus.

Unveiling the Hidden: Dissecting Liraglutide Oligomerization Dual Pathways via Direct Mass Technology, Electron-Capture Dissociation, and Molecular Dynamics

Peptide therapeutics have revolutionized drug design strategies, yet the inherent structural flexibility and conjugated moieties of drug molecules present challenges in discovery, rational design, and manufacturing. Liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist conjugated with palmitic acid at its lysine residue, exemplifies these challenges by forming oligomers, which may compromise efficacy through progressive formation of aggregates. Here, we incorporate native mass spectrometry platforms including electron-capture dissociation (ECD), direct mass technology (DMT), and molecular dynamics (MD) to capture the early oligomerization process of liraglutide. Our findings reveal a restricted C-terminal region upon oligomer formation, as indicated by the reduced release of z-ions in ECD analysis. Additionally, we identified the formation of higher-order oligomers (n=25-62) by DMT, primarily stabilized by hydrophilic interactions involving preformed stable oligomers (n=14). Together, these integrative mass spectrometry results delineate a dual-pathway oligomerization process for liraglutide, demonstrating the power of mass spectrometry in uncovering hidden pathways of self-association. This approach underscores the potential of mass spectrometry as a key tool in the rational design and optimization of peptide-based therapeutics.