Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology

Microfluidics is a recent advance in formulation science that is a superior method for the synthesis of uniform nanoparticles for drug delivery and related applications where colloidal systems are utilized. Using microfluidics, small volumes of liquid reagents are rapidly mixed in microchannels in a highly controlled manner to form tunable nanomedicines for tailored drug delivery. The reproducibility of the technique is a desirable feature to meet the demands of the pharmaceutical regulatory requirements. Commercially available microfluidics systems are now available to enable production at relevant scales for manufacturing applications. Coupling the microfluidics systems to advanced analytical methods such as microscopy, spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction enables enhanced understanding of particle formation mechanisms and structure. This special thematic issue of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology highlights recent state-of-the-art advances in the utilization of microfluidics for the design of nanomedicines. Particle formation and in situ particle functionalization are a focus, with studies on polymer and lipid-based particles being a feature. This special issue also illustrates the breadth of approaches and applications that are possible with this microfluidics technology. The contributions in this special issue include a review by Streck and Hong et al. [1] that covers the foundations of the types of microfluidics mixers used in the pharmaceutical context, key considerations for the production of both lipid and polymer systems and outlines process-related variables that influence nanoparticle properties. The important feature of batch-to-batch consistency was investigated by Poller et al. [2] for PLGA nanoparticles, with the addition of albumin to the aqueous phase being identified as a strategy to assist in tuning nanoparticle physicochemical properties. Solid lipid nanoparticles are the focus of an article by Anderluzzi et al. [3] that draws on the considerable experience in the Perrie lab for using microfluidics to produce lipid nanomedicines in a high-throughput and scalable process. The use of microfluidics to produce stimuli-responsive nano drug delivery systems is highlighted in the paper by Hong et al. [4] who have applied the technique to the fabrication of cubosomes. Analysis using small angle Xray scattering revealed that the internal structure of the cubosomes was influenced by the processing conditions. The use of plant extracts for their therapeutic effect is becoming increasingly interesting in human medicine. Vu et al. [5] present research formulating the antioxidant compound rutin into PLGA nanoparticles as a strategy to improve the low oral bioavailability. In this paper, the authors compared a traditional bulk production method with microfluidics and conclude that microfluidics results in more uniform nanoparticles with higher entrapment of rutin compared to a bulk method. The Editors extend their gratitude to the authors for their interest and contributions to this timely special theme issue. We also thank the reviewers for their time and expertise for provide an appraisal of the manuscripts and their comments to help improve the quality of the submissions. It is hoped that this special theme issue on Microfluidics in nanomedicine may stimulate new endeavours in this area and encourages adoption of this technique as a superior production method to synthesise nanomedicines.

The era of application of smart therapeutic systems employing targeted drug delivery strategies for effective treatment of diseases was started almost several decades. Several research efforts have been undertaken with time in this area for developing the newer formulation systems and devices. Despite the advantages of the new developing drugs, the benefits of adopting the modified treatment strategies are highly promising. Among these, the use of bioinspired drug delivery systems acclaimed with biodegradable and biocompatible properties has gained increasing acceptance. The current editorial delivers an insight into a series of reviews compiled befitting the title of the special issue. In this thematic issue, a compilation of five review articles is presented focusing on general aspects of bio-inspired nanosystems in therapeutics and disease treatment. This special issue has provided a comprehensive perspective on the concept of bio-inspired smart drug delivery carriers include scheming and developing biocompatible nanomaterials which can be loaded with cargo for specific drug delivery application. Such carriers are used for versatile applications in delivering drugs and pharmaceuticals for therapeutic applications, biological markers and contrast agents for imaging applications, genes and nucleic acids for gene therapy applications. Some instances of the bio-inspired nanocarriers include formulations prepared from bio-nanocomposite materials such as cellulose, chitosan, starch, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, etc. With the dimensional size range between 0.1-100 nm, the polymeric nanocomposites have been heavily explored in cancer research, immunomodulation, tissue engineering, stem cell therapy, cellular and molecular treatment. Besides these, a series of modifications in the preparations of such nanocarriers have been tried [1]. In this regard, the bio-inspired metallic nanoparticles have been proved useful in the delivery of drugs to the brain for the treatment of seizure, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Silica-based nanocomposites are useful in tissue engineering, imaging, therapeutic and disease-related diagnostic applications [2]. Hydroxyapatite nanocomposites and rosette nanotubes have been found useful as scaffolds in nucleic acid engineering applications. Graphene-based nanocomposites are also useful in photodynamic therapy against cancer treatment and tissue engineering applications. Recently, there are derivatized systems such as polymeric nanocomposites loaded with nanoparticles were reported in the literature with innovative applications in gene delivery [3]. Modified polymers composed of cartilages and muscles are useful in tissue engineering applications to produce the mechanically stiff interpenetrating network to facilitate the growth of bone mass. Moreover, the spatially controlled hydrogel nanocomposites have been designed for controlling cellular microenvironments for mimicking tissue complexity. The microarrays of bioadhesive nanocomposite microgels have been designed with tunable physical and chemical properties to obtain the modular sizes and tailored adhesive biomolecule compositions [2]. Overall, these nano devices reported in the literature also have variegated applications as scaffolds with additional advantage of drug delivery to the local tissues. These bio-inspired nanocarriers are capable of carrying bioactive molecules to the target sites based on their ability to act in response to the environmental stimuli available in living cells and/or human body. Besides, the bio-inspired nanosystems are constituted of lipids, polymers, and biomaterials, thus utilize endogenous responsiveness sensors for targeted drug delivery application. Moreover, external stimuli such as heat, light, magnetic or electric field and ultrasounds, as well as endogenous ones, such as temperature change, pH variations, redox potential and ionic strength differences can distress the responsiveness of a bio-inspired smart nano-system for drug delivery [4]. The content of this thematic issue also highlights the key opportunities and challenges in the development of bio-inspired smart nanocarriers for therapeutic management [5]. Beyond the literature reports, the articles of this thematic issue has incorporated future prospects in the field useful to the readers.

No Text Found

No Text Found