Biomaterials and Medical Tribology
9 - Liposome-based carrier systems and devices used for pulmonary drug delivery
Abstract:
Liposomes are spherical lipid carrier vesicles that vary in size (typically in the range of 20 nm to 20 μm), and are composed of single or multi-concentric bilayers, and have the ability to entrap both hydrophilic therapeutic agents within their central aqueous core or lipophilic drugs within their bilayer compartment. These carriers can transport drugs to particular sites of action within the pulmonary system by employing specially designed delivery devices. These devices work through specific mechanisms and their performance depends upon the formulation. Dry powder inhalers deliver dry powdered formulations. By contrast, pressurized metered dose inhalers deliver liquid formulations when an appropriate liquefied propellant is included. However, nebulizers are capable of delivering aqueous suspensions or solutions with no need for inclusion of a propellant. Liposomes were first reported in 1965 and since then significant developments in liposome research have emerged. Liposomes are now well established as carrier systems that accommodate therapeutic agents and deliver them to various sites in the body. Liposomes can sustain the release of the entrapped therapeutic materials, hence enhancing the therapeutic outcome. Liposome carrier systems have been studied extensively for prophylaxis against and the treatment of pulmonary diseases.
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The past decade has witnessed a breakthrough in novel strategies to treat cancer. One of the most common cancer treatment modalities is chemotherapy which involves administering anti-cancer drugs to the body. However, these drugs can lead to undesirable side effects on healthy cells. To overcome this challenge and improve cancer cell targeting, many novel nanocarriers have been developed to deliver drugs directly to the cancerous cells and minimize effects on the healthy tissues. The majority of the research studies conclude that using drugs encapsulated in nanocarriers is a much safer and more effective alternative than delivering the drug alone in its free form. This review provides a summary of the types of nanocarriers mainly studied for cancer drug delivery, namely: liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, magnetic nanoparticles, mesoporous nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. In this review, the synthesis, applications, advantages, disadvantages, and previous studies of these nanomaterials are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the future opportunities and possible challenges of translating these materials into clinical applications are also reported.
Non-spherical drug particle deposition in human airway using computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method
2023, International Journal of PharmaceuticsCurrently, the air pollution and the respiratory disease problems that affect human health are increasing rapidly. Hence, there is attention for trend prediction of the located deposition of inhaled particles. In this study, Weibel’s based human airway model (G0-G5) was employed. The computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD-DEM) simulation was successfully validated by comparison to the previous research studies. The CFD-DEM achieves a better balance between numerical accuracy and computational requirement when comparing with the other methods. Then, the model was used to analyze the non-spherical drug transport with different drug particle sizes, shapes, density, and concentrations. The results found that all the studied factors affected the drug deposition and particle out-mass percentage except the drug concentration. The drug deposition was increased with the increasing of particle size and particle density due to the influence of particle inertia. The Tomahawk-shaped drug deposited easier than the cylindrical drug shape because of the different drag behavior. For the effect of airway geometries, G0 was the maximum deposited zone and G3 was the minimum deposited zone. The boundary layer was found around bifurcation due to the shear force at the wall. Finally, the knowledge can give an essential recommendation for curing patients with pharmaceutical aerosol. The design suggestion of a proper drug delivery device can be summarized.
Dry Powder Inhaler with the technical and practical obstacles, and forthcoming platform strategies
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Liposomes in photodynamic therapy
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Reducing the environmental impact of inhalers dispensed in France. From diagnosis to sustainable action
2023, Annales Pharmaceutiques FrancaisesLes médicaments administrés par voie inhalée, privilégiés pour traiter les maladies respiratoires chroniques, sont responsables d’émissions direct et indirect de gaz responsable du réchauffement climatique. Un état des lieux des consommations de ces médicaments et une évaluation de leur empreinte carbone ont été conduits.
Une analyse quantitative et qualitative nationale des consommations d’inhalateurs dispensés en ville et dans les établissements de santé en 2019 a été réalisée. Une revue des données de la littérature a permis de déterminer l’empreinte carbone des spécialités, exprimées en CO2 équivalent (CO2e), tout au long de leur cycle de vie. Les émissions de carbone associées aux consommations ont ensuite été estimées.
Près de 40 millions d’inhalateurs ont été dispensés en ville (V) et 1 million dans les établissements de santé (ES) en 2019. Trois types sont représentés : aérosols doseurs pressurisés (MDI) [V : 49 % ; ES : 45 %], inhalateurs à poudre sèche (DPI) [V : 47 % ; ES : 51 %], inhalateurs à brumisât (SMI) [V : 4 % ; ES : 4 %]. Selon la littérature, les MDI ont l’empreinte carbone la plus élevée, variant de 11 à 28 kgCO2e en fonction de la spécialité contre moins de 1 kgCO2e pour les DPI/SMI. L’empreinte carbone du salbutamol (MDI) est estimée à plus de 310 millions kgCO2e (ES + V), soit 310 000 allers/retours Paris-New York.
Cette étude montre l’implication des MDI dans les émissions carbones. Mener des actions, dans le cadre d’une approche globale et coordonnée, pour limiter leur impact environnemental, est possible et prioritaire.
While inhaled drugs are mainly used to treat chronic respiratory diseases, they are also responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. To highlight this issue, a dispensed analysis and a carbon footprint evaluation of inhalers in France have been conducted.
A national qualitative and quantitative analysis of dispensed inhalers in community pharmacies (CP) and hospitals (H) was conducted in France for 2019. A data review from the literature led to the determination of the inhalers carbon footprint, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) during the inhaler life cycle.
Close to 40 million inhalers were dispensed by community pharmacies and one million by hospitals in 2019. It concerned three types of inhalers: metered-dose inhalers (MDI) [CP: 49%; H: 45%], dry powder inhalers (DPI) [CP: 47%; H: 51%], and soft mist inhalers (SMI) [CP: 4%; H: 4%]. According to the literature, MDI have the highest carbon footprint, ranging from 11 to 28 kgCO2e versus less than 1 kgCO2e for DPI/SMI. In 2019, the national carbon footprint of salbutamol (MDI), the most dispensed inhaler, was estimated to be over 310 million kgCO2e (CP + H) corresponding to more than 310,000 round-trip Paris-New York.
This study shows the involvement of MDI in GHG emissions. Taking actions as part of a global and coordinated approach to limit their environmental impact is possible and thus is a priority.
A comprehensive review on microalgal biomass production and processing for biodiesel production
2022, FuelCitation Excerpt :In contrast, the major obstacles that face this method are the high expense of maintenance and operation as well as the long period required to complete the drying process. In the same context, the non-stability of the dried product is due to high porosity, which eventually leads to the oxidation of the dried product, besides the detrimental effects that might occur to liposome structures when this method is applied [114]. The fundamental requirement for the extraction step is to extract the oil from biomass without any impurities of the cellular components, such as DNA and chlorophyll.
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