Long-acting Parenteral Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Chronic Diseases

The management of chronic conditions often requires patients to take daily medication for an extended duration. However, the need for daily dosing can lead to nonadherence to the therapy, which can result in the recurrence of the disease. Long-acting parenteral drug delivery systems have the potential to improve the treatment of chronic conditions. These systems use various technologies, such as oil-based injectables, PLGA-based microspheres, and in situ forming gel-based depots, to deliver different types of drugs. The use of long-acting parenteral formulations for the treatment of chronic infections such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis is a recent development in the field. Researchers are also exploring the use of long-acting parenteral formulations for the treatment of malaria, with the aim of reducing dosing frequency and improving adherence to treatment. This review discusses various aspects of long-acting formulation development, including the impact of the physicochemical properties of the drug, the type of long-acting formulation, and the route of administration. The clinical significance of long-acting formulations and recent advances in the field, such as long-acting nanoformulations and long-acting products currently in clinical trials, have also been highlighted.

An overview on the investigation of nanomaterials' effect on plasma components: immunoglobulins and coagulation factor VIII, 2010-2020 review

FVIII and immunoglobulins (Igs) are the most prominent plasma proteins, which play a vital role in plasma hemostasis. These proteins have been implemented frequently in protein therapy. Therefore, their maintenance, durability, and stability are highly essential. Herein, various approaches to improve protein functions have been investigated, such as using recombinant protein replacement. In comparison, advances in nanotechnology have provided adequate context to boost biomaterial utilization. In this regard, the applications of various nanoparticles such as polymeric nanomaterials (PEG and PLGA), metal nanoparticles, dendrimers, and lipid based nanomaterials (liposomes and lipid nanoparticles) in stability and the functional improvement of antibodies and coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) have been reviewed from 2010 to 2020. Reviewing related articles has shown that not only can nanomaterials adequately protect the structure of proteins, but have also improved proteins' functions in some cases. For example, the high rate of FVIII instability has been successfully enhanced by bio-PEGylation. Also, utilizing PEGylated liposomes, using the PEG-lip technique for coating nanostructures, leads to FIIIV half-life prolongation. Hence, PEGylation had most impact on the stability of FVIII. Likewise, PEG-coated liposome nano-carriers also presented such a good effect on stability improvements for FVIII due to their ability to tune the immune system by reducing FVIII immunogenicity. Similarly, Ig PEGylation and conjugation to magnetic nanoparticles resulted in increased half-life and better purification of Igs, respectively, without any loss in structural or functional features. Consequently, metal-organic frameworks and recent hybrid systems have been introduced as promising nanomaterials in biomedical applications. As far as we know, this is the first study in this field, which considers the applications of nanoparticles for improving the storage and stability of antibodies and coagulation FVIII.

Safety assessment of a new nanoemulsion-based drug-delivery system reveals unexpected drug-free anticoagulant activity

Aim: A preclinical safety assessment of a novel nanoemulsion drug-delivery system, initially developed to improve the posology of efavirenz (EFV), was conducted with a specific focus on possible immunological and hematological complications. Materials & methods: Assessment of common acute toxicities, such as complement activation and cytokine secretion, was performed using validated assays known to have good correlation with in vivo end points. Results & conclusion: Compared with a standard aqueous solution of EFV, the EFV nanoemulsion showed no significant effect on immune cell function or phenotype. Prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time was observed for EFV-loaded nanoemulsions (88% at 4 μg/ml) as well as unloaded nanoemulsions (52%) highlighting the potential for drug-free anticoagulant activity and warranting further investigation of the mechanism and utility of these materials.

Nanoparticles and the blood coagulation system. Part I: benefits of nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is proven to provide certain benefits in drug delivery by improving solubility, increasing uptake to target sites and changing pharmacokinetics profiles of traditional drugs. Since properties of many materials change tremendously at the nanoscale levels, nanotechnology is also being explored in various industrial applications. As such, nanoparticles are rapidly entering various areas of industry, biology and medicine. The benefits of using nanotechnology for industrial and biomedical applications are often tempered by concerns about the safety of these new materials. One such area of concern includes their effect on the immune system. While nanoparticle interactions with various constituents of the immune system have been reviewed before, little attention was given to nanoparticle effects on the blood coagulation system. Nanoparticle interface with the blood coagulation system may lead to either benefits to the host or adverse reactions. This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of nanoparticle interactions with plasma coagulation factors, platelets, endothelial cells and leukocytes. Part I is focused on desirable interactions between nanoparticles and the coagulation system, and discusses benefits of using nanotechnology to intervene in coagulation disorders. Undesirable interactions posing safety concerns are covered in part II, which will be published in the June issue of Nanomedicine.