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Bartlett BA, Feng Y, Fromen CA, Ford Versypt AN. Computational fluid dynamics modeling of aerosol particle transport through lung airway mucosa. Comput Chem Eng 2023; 179:108458. [PMID: 37946856 PMCID: PMC10634618 DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2023.108458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Delivery of aerosols to the lung can treat various lung diseases. However, the conducting airways are coated by a protective mucus layer with complex properties that make this form of delivery difficult. Mucus is a non-Newtonian fluid and is cleared from the lungs over time by ciliated cells. Further, its gel-like structure hinders the diffusion of particles through it. Any aerosolized treatment of lung diseases must penetrate the mucosal barrier. Using computational fluid dynamics, a model of the airway mucus and periciliary layer was constructed to simulate the transport of impacted aerosol particles. The model predicts the dosage fraction of particles of a certain size that penetrate the mucus and reach the underlying tissue, as well as the distance downstream of the dosage site where tissue concentration is maximized. Reactions that may occur in the mucus are also considered, with simulated data for the interaction of a model virus and an antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A. Bartlett
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Yu Feng
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Catherine A. Fromen
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Ashlee N. Ford Versypt
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
- Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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Rai V, Kyser AJ, Goodin DA, Mahmoud MY, Steinbach-Rankins JM, Frieboes HB. Computational Modeling of Probiotic Recovery from 3D-Bioprinted Scaffolds for Localized Vaginal Application. ANNALS OF 3D PRINTED MEDICINE 2023; 11:100120. [PMID: 37583971 PMCID: PMC10424195 DOI: 10.1016/j.stlm.2023.100120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Lactobacilli, play a beneficial role in the female reproductive tract (FRT), regulating pH via lactic acid metabolism to help maintain a healthy environment. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by a dysregulated flora in which anaerobes such as Gardnerella vaginalis (Gardnerella) create a less acidic environment. Current treatment focuses on antibiotic administration, including metronidazole, clindamycin, or tinidazole; however, lack of patient compliance as well as antibiotic resistance may contribute to 50% recurrence within a year. Recently, locally administered probiotics such as Lactobacillus crispatus (L. crispatus) have been evaluated as a prophylactic against recurrence. To mitigate the lack of patient compliance, sustained probiotic delivery has been proposed via 3D-bioprinted delivery vehicles. Successful delivery depends on a variety of vehicle fabrication parameters influencing timing and rate of probiotic recovery; detailed evaluation of these parameters would benefit from computational modeling complementary to experimental evaluation. This study implements a novel simulation platform to evaluate sustained delivery of probiotics from 3D-bioprinted scaffolds, taking into consideration bacterial lactic acid production and associated pH changes. The results show that the timing and rate of probiotic recovery can be realistically simulated based on fabrication parameters that affect scaffold degradation and probiotic survival. Longer term, the proposed approach could help personalize localized probiotic delivery to the FRT to advance women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veeresh Rai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Anthony J. Kyser
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Dylan A. Goodin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Mohamed Y. Mahmoud
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Jill M. Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Hermann B. Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- UofL-Health –Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Khan A, Khan SU, Khan A, Shal B, Rehman SU, Rehman SU, Htar TT, Khan S, Anwar S, Alafnan A, Rengasamy KRR. Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Rheumatic Potential of Selective Plant Compounds by Targeting TLR-4/AP-1 Signaling: A Comprehensive Molecular Docking and Simulation Approaches. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27134319. [PMID: 35807562 PMCID: PMC9268648 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants are an important source of drug development and numerous plant derived molecules have been used in clinical practice for the ailment of various diseases. The Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis. The TLR-4 binds with pro-inflammatory ligands such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce the downstream signaling mechanism such as nuclear factor κappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs). This signaling activation leads to the onset of various diseases including inflammation. In the present study, 22 natural compounds were studied against TLR-4/AP-1 signaling, which is implicated in the inflammatory process using a computational approach. These compounds belong to various classes such as methylxanthine, sesquiterpene lactone, alkaloid, flavone glycosides, lignan, phenolic acid, etc. The compounds exhibited different binding affinities with the TLR-4, JNK, NF-κB, and AP-1 protein due to the formation of multiple hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. With TLR-4, rutin had the highest binding energy (−10.4 kcal/mol), poncirin had the highest binding energy (−9.4 kcal/mol) with NF-κB and JNK (−9.5 kcal/mol), respectively, and icariin had the highest binding affinity (−9.1 kcal/mol) with the AP-1 protein. The root means square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fraction (RMSF), and radius of gyration (RoG) for 150 ns were calculated using molecular dynamic simulation (MD simulation) based on rutin’s greatest binding energy with TLR-4. The RMSD, RMSF, and RoG were all within acceptable limits in the MD simulation, and the complex remained stable for 150 ns. Furthermore, these compounds were assessed for the potential toxic effect on various organs such as the liver, heart, genotoxicity, and oral maximum toxic dose. Moreover, the blood–brain barrier permeability and intestinal absorption were also predicted using SwissADME software (Lausanne, Switzerland). These compounds exhibited promising physico-chemical as well as drug-likeness properties. Consequently, these selected compounds portray promising anti-inflammatory and drug-likeness properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashrafullah Khan
- Pharmacological Sciences Research Lab, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.K.); (A.K.); (B.S.)
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan;
| | - Shafi Ullah Khan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan;
- Product & Process Innovation Department, Qarshi Brands (Pvt) Ltd., Hattar 22610, Pakistan
| | - Adnan Khan
- Pharmacological Sciences Research Lab, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.K.); (A.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Bushra Shal
- Pharmacological Sciences Research Lab, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.K.); (A.K.); (B.S.)
- Faculty of Health Sciences, IQRA University, Islamabad Campus (Chak Shahzad), Park link Rd., Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Sabih Ur Rehman
- Department of Pharmacy, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore 54600, Pakistan; (S.U.R.); (S.U.R.)
| | - Shaheed Ur Rehman
- Department of Pharmacy, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore 54600, Pakistan; (S.U.R.); (S.U.R.)
| | - Thet Thet Htar
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Salman Khan
- Pharmacological Sciences Research Lab, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; (A.K.); (A.K.); (B.S.)
- Correspondence: or (S.K.); (K.R.R.)
| | - Sirajudheen Anwar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail 55211, Saudi Arabia; (S.A.); (A.A.)
| | - Ahmed Alafnan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail 55211, Saudi Arabia; (S.A.); (A.A.)
| | - Kannan RR Rengasamy
- Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha Dental College, Chennai 600077, India
- Correspondence: or (S.K.); (K.R.R.)
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Casalini T, Cingolani A, Scibona E. Modeling the Microenvironment-Dependent Degradation of Drug-Loaded Polylactic- co-glycolic Microparticles. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Alberto Cingolani
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Ernesto Scibona
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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A novel approach to studying the kinetics of release of Alaptide from Poly-ε-caprolactone nanofibers. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Batista H, Freitas JP, Abrunheiro A, Gonçalves T, Gil MH, Figueiredo M, Coimbra P. Electrospun composite fibers of PLA/PLGA blends and mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the controlled release of gentamicin sulfate. INT J POLYM MATER PO 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00914037.2021.1876053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Batista
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João P. Freitas
- Department of Orthopaedics, CHUC, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Abrunheiro
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Gonçalves
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria H. Gil
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Margarida Figueiredo
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Coimbra
- CIEPQPF, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Sofi HS, Abdal-Hay A, Ivanovski S, Zhang YS, Sheikh FA. Electrospun nanofibers for the delivery of active drugs through nasal, oral and vaginal mucosa: Current status and future perspectives. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 111:110756. [PMID: 32279775 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Transmucosal surfaces bypass many limitations associated with conventional drug delivery (oral and parenteral routes), such as poor absorption rate, enzymatic activity, acidic environment and first-pass metabolism occurring inside the liver. However, these surfaces have several disadvantages such as poor retention time, narrow absorption window and continuous washout of the drug by the surrounding fluids. Electrospun nanofibers with their unique surface properties and encapsulation efficiency may act as novel drug carriers to overcome the challenges associated with conventional drug delivery routes, so as to achieve desired therapeutic responses. This review article provides detailed information regarding the challenges faced in the mucosal delivery of drugs, and the use of nanofiber systems as an alternative to deliver drugs to the systemic circulation, as well as local drug administration. The physiological and anatomical features of different types of mucosal surfaces and current challenges are systematically discussed. We also address future considerations in the area of transmucosal delivery of some important drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasham S Sofi
- Department of Nanotechnology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Abdalla Abdal-Hay
- The University of Queensland, School of Dentistry, Oral Health Centre Herston, 288 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia; Department of Engineering Materials and Mechanical Design, Faculty of Engineering, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Saso Ivanovski
- The University of Queensland, School of Dentistry, Oral Health Centre Herston, 288 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Faheem A Sheikh
- Department of Nanotechnology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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Tyo KM, Minooei F, Curry KC, NeCamp SM, Graves DL, Fried JR, Steinbach-Rankins JM. Relating Advanced Electrospun Fiber Architectures to the Temporal Release of Active Agents to Meet the Needs of Next-Generation Intravaginal Delivery Applications. Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:E160. [PMID: 30987206 PMCID: PMC6523330 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11040160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrospun fibers have emerged as a relatively new delivery platform to improve active agent retention and delivery for intravaginal applications. While uniaxial fibers have been explored in a variety of applications including intravaginal delivery, the consideration of more advanced fiber architectures may offer new options to improve delivery to the female reproductive tract. In this review, we summarize the advancements of electrospun coaxial, multilayered, and nanoparticle-fiber architectures utilized in other applications and discuss how different material combinations within these architectures provide varied durations of release, here categorized as either transient (within 24 h), short-term (24 h to one week), or sustained (beyond one week). We seek to systematically relate material type and fiber architecture to active agent release kinetics. Last, we explore how lessons derived from these architectures may be applied to address the needs of future intravaginal delivery platforms for a given prophylactic or therapeutic application. The overall goal of this review is to provide a summary of different fiber architectures that have been useful for active agent delivery and to provide guidelines for the development of new formulations that exhibit release kinetics relevant to the time frames and the diversity of active agents needed in next-generation multipurpose applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Tyo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
- Center for Predictive Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
| | - Farnaz Minooei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Keegan C Curry
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Sarah M NeCamp
- Department of Bioengineering, Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Danielle L Graves
- Department of Bioengineering, Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Joel R Fried
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| | - Jill M Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
- Center for Predictive Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
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Sims LB, Miller HA, Halwes ME, Steinbach-Rankins JM, Frieboes HB. Modeling of nanoparticle transport through the female reproductive tract for the treatment of infectious diseases. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2018; 138:37-47. [PMID: 30195726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The secreted mucus layer in the vaginal epithelium presents a formidable barrier to the transport of active agents for the prevention and treatment of female reproductive tract (FRT) infections. Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery has been proposed to help facilitate the transport and release of active agents through the cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) and underlying mucosa. However, both nanoparticles (NPs) and free active agents face a variety of challenges, often requiring the administration of high localized doses to circumvent leakage and poor penetration to targeted intravaginal tissue compartments. To address these challenges, "stealth" NP modifications have been investigated, due to their favorable mucus-penetrating properties, resulting in improved intravaginal active agent retention and transport. A number of other NP characteristics including size, surface modification type, ligand density, and co-modification, as well as the complexity of the FRT tissue are involved in obtaining adequate tissue penetration and, if needed, cell internalization. Studies that systematically investigate variations of these characteristics have yet to be conducted, with the goal to obtain a better understanding of what properties most impact prophylactic and therapeutic benefit. To complement the progress made with experimental evaluation of active agent transport in in vitro and in vivo, mathematical modeling has recently been applied to analyze the transport performance of agents and delivery vehicles in the FRT. Here, we build upon this work to simulate NP transport through mucus gel, epithelial, and stromal compartments, with the goal to provide a platform that can systematically evaluate transport based on NP and tissue characteristics. Model parameters such as PEG density and NP release (decay) rate from mucus gel into the epithelium, are set from previous in vitro and in vivo experimental work that assessed the transport of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) NPs. The modeling results show that while unmodified and 2% PEG-modified NPs were retained in mucus for ∼1-4 h, dependent upon decay constant values, and traverse to the epithelium, no NP penetration was observed in the stroma. In contrast, NPs modified with 3% PEG, exhibited prolonged retention in each compartment, remaining for ∼4-6 h. Moreover, a significant concentration of NPs is observed in the stroma, indicating a transition in transport behavior. For NPs modified with 5, 8, or 25% PEG, steady retention profiles were noted, which gradually decline over 24 h. To supplement this modeling study and to develop a more representative experimental system that may be useful in future work, we report on the feasibility of constructing single and multicellular layered (MCL) culture systems to represent the epithelial and stromal tissue of the FRT. We anticipate that a combined mathematical/experimental approach may longer term enable prediction and customization of patient tissue-specific approaches to attain effective NP-mediated drug delivery and release for the treatment of infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee B Sims
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Hunter A Miller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Michael E Halwes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jill M Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Hermann B Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Sims LB, Frieboes HB, Steinbach-Rankins JM. Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery to treat infections in the female reproductive tract: evaluation of experimental systems and the potential for mathematical modeling. Int J Nanomedicine 2018; 13:2709-2727. [PMID: 29760551 PMCID: PMC5937491 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s160044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of drug-delivery platforms have been employed to deliver therapeutic agents across cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) and the vaginal mucosa, offering the capability to increase the longevity and retention of active agents to treat infections of the female reproductive tract (FRT). Nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown to improve retention, diffusion, and cell-specific targeting via specific surface modifications, relative to other delivery platforms. In particular, polymeric NPs represent a promising option that has shown improved distribution through the CVM. These NPs are typically fabricated from nontoxic, non-inflammatory, US Food and Drug Administration-approved polymers that improve biocompatibility. This review summarizes recent experimental studies that have evaluated NP transport in the FRT, and highlights research areas that more thoroughly and efficiently inform polymeric NP design, including mathematical modeling. An overview of the in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo NP studies conducted to date – whereby transport parameters are determined, extrapolated, and validated – is presented first. The impact of different NP design features on transport through the FRT is summarized, and gaps that exist due to the limitations of iterative experimentation alone are identified. The potential of mathematical modeling to complement the characterization and evaluation of diffusion and transport of delivery vehicles and active agents through the CVM and mucosa is discussed. Lastly, potential advancements combining experimental and mathematical knowledge are suggested to inform next-generation NP designs, such that infections in the FRT may be more effectively treated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee B Sims
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Hermann B Frieboes
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jill M Steinbach-Rankins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Center for Predictive Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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