Development of a solid dosage platform for the oral delivery of bilayer vesicles

Within this work, we develop vesicles incorporating sub-unit antigens as solid dosage forms suitable for the oral delivery of vaccines. Using a combination of trehalose, dextran and mannitol, freeze-dried oral disintegrating tablets were formed which upon rehydration release bilayer vesicles incorporating antigen. Initial studies focused on the optimisation of the freeze-dry cycle and subsequently excipient content was optimised by testing tablet hardness, disintegration time and moisture content. The use of 10% mannitol and 10% dextran produced durable tablets which offered strong resistance to mechanical damage yet appropriate disintegration times and dispersed to release niosomes-entrapping antigen. From these studies, we have formulated a bilayer vesicle vaccine delivery system as rapid disintegrating tablets and capsules.

Characterization and optimization of bilosomes for oral vaccine delivery

Oral vaccines offer significant benefits due to the ease of administration, better patient compliance and non-invasive, needle-free administration. However, this route is marred by the harsh gastro intestinal environment which is detrimental to many vaccine formats. To address this, a range of delivery systems have been considered including bilosomes; these are bilayer vesicles constructed from non-ionic surfactants combined with the inclusion of bile salts which can stabilize the vesicles in the gastro intestinal tract by preventing membrane destabilization. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of formulation parameters on bilosome carriers using Design of Experiments to select an appropriate formulation to assess in vivo. Bilosomes were constructed from monopalmitoylglycerol, cholesterol, dicetyl phosphate and sodium deoxycholate at different blends ratios. The optimized bilosome formulation was identified and the potential of this formulation as an oral vaccine delivery system were assessed in biodistribution and vaccine efficacy studies. Results showed that the larger bilosomes vesicles (~6 µm versus 2 µm in diameter) increased uptake within the Peyer's patches and were able to reduce median temperature differential change and promote a reduction in viral cell load in an influenza challenge study.

Exploring the correlation between lipid packaging in lipoplexes and their transfection efficacy

Whilst there is a large body of evidence looking at the design of cationic liposomes as transfection agents, correlates of formulation to function remain elusive. In this research, we investigate if lipid packaging can give further insights into transfection efficacy. DNA lipoplexes composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE) in combination with 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) or 1,2-stearoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DSTAP) were prepared by the lipid hydration method. Each of the formulations was prepared by hydration in dH2O or phosphate buffer saline (PBS) to investigate the effect of buffer salts on lipoplex physicochemical characteristics and in vitro transfection. In addition, Langmuir monolayer studies were performed to investigate any possible correlation between lipid packaging and liposome attributes. Using PBS, rather than dH2O, to prepare the lipoplexes increased the size of vesicles in most of formulations and resulted in variation in transfection efficacies. However, one combination of lipids (DSPE:DOTAP) could not form liposomes in PBS, whilst the DSPE:DSTAP combination could not form liposomes in either aqueous media. Monolayer studies demonstrated saturated lipid combinations offered dramatically closer molecular packing compared to the other combinations which could suggest why this lipid combination could not form vesicles. Of the lipoplexes prepared, those formulated with DSTAP showed higher transfection efficacy, however, the effect of buffer on transfection efficiency was formulation dependent.

Environmental scanning electron microscope imaging of vesicle systems

The structural characteristics of liposomes have been widely investigated and there is certainly a strong understanding of their morphological characteristics. Imaging of these systems, using techniques such as freeze-fracturing methods, transmission electron microscopy, and cryo-electron imaging, has allowed us to appreciate their bilayer structures and factors that influence this. However, there are a few methods that study these systems in their natural hydrated state; commonly, the liposomes are visualized after drying, staining and/or fixation of the vesicles. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) offers the ability to image a liposome in its hydrated state without the need for prior sample preparation. We were the first to use ESEM to study the liposomes and niosomes, and have been able to dynamically follow the hydration of lipid films and changes in liposome suspensions as water condenses onto, or evaporates from, the sample in real-time. This provides an insight into the resistance of liposomes to coalescence during dehydration, thereby providing an alternative assay for liposome formulation and stability.

Vaccine adjuvant systems: enhancing the efficacy of sub-unit protein antigens

Vaccination remains a key tool in the protection and eradication of diseases. However, the development of new safe and effective vaccines is not easy. Various live organism based vaccines currently licensed, exhibit high efficacy; however, this benefit is associated with risk, due to the adverse reactions found with these vaccines. Therefore, in the development of vaccines, the associated risk-benefit issues need to be addressed. Sub-unit proteins offer a much safer alternative; however, their efficacy is low. The use of adjuvanted systems have proven to enhance the immunogenicity of these sub-unit vaccines through protection (i.e. preventing degradation of the antigen in vivo) and enhanced targeting of these antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells. Understanding of the immunological implications of the related disease will enable validation for the design and development of potential adjuvant systems. Novel adjuvant research involves the combination of both pharmaceutical analysis accompanied by detailed immunological investigations, whereby, pharmaceutically designed adjuvants are driven by an increased understanding of mechanisms of adjuvant activity, largely facilitated by description of highly specific innate immune recognition of components usually associated with the presence of invading bacteria or virus. The majority of pharmaceutical based adjuvants currently being investigated are particulate based delivery systems, such as liposome formulations. As an adjuvant, liposomes have been shown to enhance immunity against the associated disease particularly when a cationic lipid is used within the formulation. In addition, the inclusion of components such as immunomodulators, further enhance immunity. Within this review, the use and application of effective adjuvants is investigated, with particular emphasis on liposomal-based systems. The mechanisms of adjuvant activity, analysis of complex immunological characteristics and formulation and delivery of these vaccines are considered.

Environmental scanning electron microscopy offers real-time morphological analysis of liposomes and niosomes

Liposomes have been imaged using a plethora of techniques. However, few of these methods offer the ability to study these systems in their natural hydrated state without the requirement of drying, staining, and fixation of the vesicles. However, the ability to image a liposome in its hydrated state is the ideal scenario for visualization of these dynamic lipid structures and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), with its ability to image wet systems without prior sample preparation, offers potential advantages to the above methods. In our studies, we have used ESEM to not only investigate the morphology of liposomes and niosomes but also to dynamically follow the changes in structure of lipid films and liposome suspensions as water condenses on to or evaporates from the sample. In particular, changes in liposome morphology were studied using ESEM in real time to investigate the resistance of liposomes to coalescence during dehydration thereby providing an alternative assay of liposome formulation and stability. Based on this protocol, we have also studied niosome-based systems and cationic liposome/DNA complexes.

Signal transduction mechanisms linking increased extracellular calcium to proliferation in ovarian surface epithelial cells

Although ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells are the cell type responsible for malignant ovarian carcinoma, relatively little is known about either the extracellular stimuli or the intracellular signaling mechanisms responsible for regulating proliferation in these cells. We have demonstrated that OSE cells proliferate in response to elevation of extracellular calcium and that OSE cells express functional calcium-sensing receptors (CaR). Here we show that agonists of the CaR increase the kinase activity of Src and ERKs (extracellular signal-regulated kinases) in rat OSE cells and promote association between tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc and p120rasGAP. Expression of an interfering mutant CaR inhibited the proliferative response to elevated extracellular calcium, as well as CaR agonist-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and ERK activation. Transfection with dominant negative mutants of Ras, Raf, and MKK1 also inhibited the increase in ERK activity in response to calcium, as did treatment with herbimycin, a selective inhibitor for Src family kinases. These results indicate that the ability of OSE cells to proliferate in response to increases in extracellular calcium involves cross-talk between the G-protein-coupled CaR and the activation of a tyrosine kinase-dependent Ras-Raf-ERK signaling pathway.

Functional calcium-sensing receptors in rat fibroblasts are required for activation of SRC kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase in response to extracellular calcium

Changes in the concentration of extracellular calcium can affect the balance between proliferation and differentiation in several cell types, including keratinocytes, breast epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. This report demonstrates that elevation of extracellular calcium stimulates proliferation-associated signaling pathways in rat fibroblasts and implicates calcium-sensing receptors (CaR) as mediators of this response. Rat-1 fibroblasts express CaR mRNA and protein and respond to known agonists of the CaR with increased IP3 production and release of intracellular calcium. Agonists of the CaR can stimulate increased c-SRC kinase activity and increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. Both of the increases in SRC activity and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation are blocked in the presence of a nonfunctional mutant of the CaR, R796W. Proliferation of wild-type Rat-1 cells is sensitive to changes in extracellular calcium, but expression of the nonfunctional CaR mutant or inhibition of the calcium-dependent increase in SRC kinase activity block the proliferative response to calcium. These results provide evidence of a novel signal transduction pathway modulating the response of fibroblasts to extracellular calcium and imply that calcium-sensing receptors may play a role in regulating cell growth in response to extracellular calcium, in addition to their well known function in systemic calcium homeostasis.