Loading...
3 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
- Current progresses on nanodelivery systems for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases: Alzheimer’s and SchizophreniaPublication . Silva, Ana Catarina; González-Mira, E.; Lobo, J.M. Sousa; Amaral, M.H.Currently Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia are both well-established neuropsychiatric diseases. Nonetheless, the treatment of these disorders is not unanimous and fully effective. As a consequence, several approaches have been studied to improve patient's conditions. In this context, the development of new drug nanodelivery systems to increase drug bioavailability and reduce adverse effects has been claimed as a good option. Among these systems we focus on the ones that seem to be most promising, such as lipidbased systems (e.g. liposomes, nanoemulsions and lipid nanoparticles), drug nanocrystals, polymeric nanoparticles and micelles. Moreover, the application of these systems by means of alternative administration routes is also discussed. Regardless of the satisfactory results and the associated progresses that have been done in the last years, more studies are required to quickly licence the application of drug nanodelivery systems in human medicines.
- Lipid nanoparticles for the delivery of biopharmaceuticalsPublication . Silva, Ana Catarina; Amaral, M.H.; Lobo, J.M. Sousa; Lopes, Carla MartinsBiopharmaceuticals comprise therapeutic protein-based, nucleic acids and cell-based products. According to their therapeutic success, the clinical use of these products has been growing. Therefore, the development of efficient biopharmaceuticals delivery systems, which overcome their limitations for administration, remains an excellent prospect for pharmaceutical technologists. In this area, lipid nanoparticles have been increasingly recognized as one of the most promising delivery systems, due to their exclusive advantages. However, no clinical biopharmaceutical lipid nanoparticle-based products are yet available. This fact could be explained by the lack or failure of in vivo studies, regarding stability and toxicological concerns, and also by the complex regulatory issues that must be accomplished. The present review article focuses on the different classes of biopharmaceuticals, their characteristics and limitations for administration. A state of the art regarding the use of lipid nanoparticles to improve biopharmaceuticals delivery is presented and a critical prospect of the future directions that should be addressed by pharmaceutical technologists is also discussed.
- Delivery systems for biopharmaceuticals. Part I: nanoparticles and microparticlesPublication . Silva, Ana Catarina; Lopes, Carla Martins; Lobo, J.M. Sousa; Amaral, M.H.Pharmaceutical biotechnology has been showing therapeutic success never achieved with conventional drug molecules. Therefore, biopharmaceutical products are currently well-established in clinic and the development of new ones is expected. These products comprise mainly therapeutic proteins, although nucleic acids and cells are also included. However, according to their sensitive molecular structures, the efficient delivery of biopharmaceuticals is challenging. Several delivery systems (e.g. microparticles and nanoparticles) composed of different materials (e.g. polymers and lipids) have been explored and demonstrated excellent outcomes, such as: high cellular transfection efficiency for nucleic acids, cell targeting, increased proteins and peptides bioavailability, improved immune response in vaccination, and viability maintenance of microencapsulated cells. Nonetheless, important issues need to be addressed before they reach clinics. For example, more in vivo studies in animals, accessing the toxicity potential and predicting in vivo failure of these delivery systems are required. This is the Part I of two review articles, which presents the state of the art of delivery systems for biopharmaceuticals. Part I deals with polymeric and lipid microparticles and nanoparticles.