Cupriavidus necator-Produced Polyhydroxybutyrate/Eudragit FS Hybrid Nanoparticles Mitigates Ulcerative Colitis via Colon-Targeted Delivery of Cyclosporine A

Evaluating the efficacy of nano-cyclosporine A in mice model of ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis

Cyclosporine A is an immunosuppressive drug used in clinics to treat steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). However, due to its side effects, researchers are evaluating novel drug delivery-based treatment options. Nanoparticles-based cyclosporine (Nano-CSA) offers a promising option for the treatment of UC, and various in vivo studies on animals have been conducted. This meta-analysis was performed to clarify the effects of using Nano-CSA based formulations in the mouse UC model. A systemic literature search was conducted on five different electronic databases (ScienceDirect, PubMed, Embase, PMC, and Cochrane) to search studies conducted between the timeline of 2016 and 2024. The search terms include "nanoparticles," "ulcerative colitis," and "cyclosporine A." The primary outcomes include histological scores and colon length. The Nano-CSA effects on UC were assessed by analyzing the difference between the treatment and untreated control groups, through the use of standardized mean difference (SMD). A fixed effect model was used where heterogeneity was less than 50%, for higher heterogeneity random effect model was used. The total number of included studies for this systematic review was six, from which meta-analysis was performed on four studies. In all the studies, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to induce UC, except for one study that used TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid) for UC induction. Four studies measured histological score and colon length, and two studies measured other secondary outcomes (IL-6, TNF-α, and MPO (myeloperoxidase activity)). Meta-analysis results have demonstrated that there is an increase in colon length with SMD of 6.879 and a decrease in histological score with SMD of 10.956 in the Nano-CSA treated group. There was also a decrease in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α and IL-6 in the Nano-CSA treated group and no significant difference in MPO activity of the two groups. Colon length, MPO activity, and TNF-α expression demonstrated heterogeneity values of 84.638, 86.113, and 51.567 respectively. The results of this meta-analysis have demonstrated the potential therapeutic efficiency of Nano-CSA for the treatment of UC in mice models. Further research is required in order to explore nano-based novel therapeutics options for UC treatment in other models as well as with human applications.

Polyesters and Polyester Nano- and Microcarriers for Drug Delivery

Many therapies require the transport of therapeutic compounds or substances encapsulated in carriers that reduce or, if possible, eliminate their direct contact with healthy tissue and components of the immune system, which may react to them as something foreign and dangerous to the patient's body. To date, inorganic nanoparticles, solid lipids, micelles and micellar aggregates, liposomes, polymeric micelles, and other polymer assemblies were tested as drug carriers. Specifically, using polymers creates a variety of options to prepare nanocarriers tailored to the chosen needs. Among polymers, aliphatic polyesters are a particularly important group. The review discusses controlled synthesis of poly(β-butyrolactone)s, polylactides, polyglycolide, poly(ε-caprolactone), and copolymers containing polymacrolactone units with double bonds suitable for preparation of functionalized nanoparticles. Discussed are syntheses of aliphatic polymers with controlled molar masses ranging from a few thousand to 106 and, in the case of polyesters with chiral centers in the chains, with controlled microstructure. The review presents also a collection of methods useful for the preparation of the drug-loaded nanocarriers: classical, developed and mastered more recently (e.g., nanoprecipitation), and forgotten but still with great potential (by the direct synthesis of the drug-loaded nanoparticles in the process comprising monomer and drug). The article describes also in-vitro and model in-vivo studies for the brain-targeted drugs based on polyester-containing nanocarriers and presents a brief update on the clinical studies and the polyester nanocarrier formulation approved for application in the clinics in South Korea for the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancers.

Global trends and hotspots of ulcerative colitis based on bibliometric and visual analysis from 1993 to 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) has seen a significant increase over the past 3 decades. However, our understanding of its etiology, pathogenesis, and pharmacological treatment remains limited. This comprehensive review aims to address these gaps by analyzing trends, evaluating previous research, and providing insights for future investigations. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of UC-related papers indexed in the Web of Science from 1993 to 2022. The author, organization, country, and keyword networks in the field of UC were visualized. A total of 36,483 papers were included, showing a continuous upward trend. Most research on UC was conducted in universities, with hospitals leading in high-quality studies. The United States emerged as the primary contributor, followed by China and the United Kingdom. The overall quality of UC-related publications improved, indicating sustained interest in the field. The keywords related to UC was classified into 9 clusters. Keywords detection revealed that UC research focused mainly on the discovery of its etiology and exploration of treatment methods, with research directions evolving from initial treatment of UC and related diseases to clinical trials of UC and subsequently incorporating genomics and bioinformatics techniques to study UC and explore new therapeutic methods and drugs, including recent advances in gut microbiota. Our study identified gaps in understanding the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of UC. Future research in UC should focus on genomics, personalized treatment, microbial therapy and leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence. These areas hold the potential for improving UC diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Orally-administered nanomedicine systems targeting colon inflammation for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: latest advances

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and idiopathic condition that results in inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Commonly used treatments for IBD include anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants, and antibiotics. Fecal microbiota transplantation is also being explored as a potential treatment method; however, these drugs may lead to systemic side effects. Oral administration is preferred for IBD treatment, but accurately locating the inflamed area in the colon is challenging due to multiple physiological barriers. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems possess unique physicochemical properties that enable precise delivery to the target site for IBD treatment, exploiting the increased permeability and retention effect of inflamed intestines. The first part of this review comprehensively introduces the pathophysiological environment of IBD, covering the gastrointestinal pH, various enzymes in the pathway, transport time, intestinal mucus, intestinal epithelium, intestinal immune cells, and intestinal microbiota. The second part focuses on the latest advances in the mechanism and strategies of targeted delivery using oral nanoparticle drug delivery systems for colitis-related fields. Finally, we present challenges and potential directions for future IBD treatment with the assistance of nanotechnology.

Cyclosporine A-Encapsulated pH/ROS Dual-Responsive Nanoformulations for the Targeted Treatment of Colitis in Mice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a frequently occurring disease that seriously influences the patient's quality of life. To decrease adverse effects and improve efficacy of therapeutics, nanomedicines have been widely used to treat IBD. However, how to thoroughly release payloads under an inflammatory microenvironment and synergistic therapy of IBD need to be further investigated. To address this issue, cyclosporine A (CsA)-loaded, folic acid (FA)-modified, pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) dual-responsive nanoparticles (FA-CsA NPs) were fabricated using pH/ROS-responsive material as carrier. The prepared FA-CsA NPs had spherical shape and uniform size distribution and could smartly release their payloads under acid and/or ROS microenvironment. In vitro experiments demonstrated that FA-CsA NPs can be effectively internalized by activated macrophages, and the internalized NPs could down-regulate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines compared to free drug or nontargeted NPs. In vivo experiments verified that FA-CsA NPs significantly accumulated at inflammatory colon tissues and the accumulated NPs obviously improved the symptoms of colitis in mice without obvious adverse effects. In conclusion, our results provided a candidate for the targeted treatment of IBD.