Cholesterol, the essential building block of cellular membranes, has proven to be a useful tool for increasing the biocompatibility and bioavailability of drug delivery systems in cancer treatment. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound with promising anticancer properties, faces significant limitations due to its low solubility and bioavailability, hindering its clinical utility. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to design cholesterol-functionalized cyclodextrin nanosponges (Chol-NSs) with a tunable cholesterol content to optimize resveratrol encapsulation and delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the dynamic landscape of biomedical research, therapeutic RNA aptamers have recently come to the forefront, showing significant potential in diagnostics and therapeutics. This review aims to raise awareness of aptamer technology within the scientific community by exploring the progress made in the therapeutic field, from the lessons learned in research to the future opportunities and impact that these innovative molecules are increasingly having on society to meet current health needs, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite advances in care, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. As a result, identifying suitable biomarkers for early diagnosis and improving therapeutic and diagnostic strategies is crucial. Because of their significant advantages over other therapeutic approaches, nucleic-based therapies, particularly aptamers, are gaining increased attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMacrolides are widely used antibiotics with a broad spectrum of activity. The development of drug carriers to deliver this type of antibiotics has attracted much research. The present study aims at developing new swellable dextrin-based nanohydrogels for the topical delivery of rokitamycin, as model macrolide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutraceuticals are bioactive or chemical compounds acclaimed for their valuable biological activities and health-promoting effects. The global community is faced with many health concerns such as cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. The effect of nutraceuticals is similar to pharmaceuticals, even though the term nutraceutical has no regulatory definition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammation is a biological response of the immune system to harmful stimuli. Importantly, inflammation is also a hallmark of several human diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Novel drugs to treat this response are constantly researched, but the formulation is usually forgotten.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cross-linking density influences the physicochemical properties of cyclodextrin-based nanosponges (CD-NSs). Although the effect of the cross-linker type and content on the NSs performance has been investigated, a detailed study of the cross-linking density has never been performed. In this contribution, nine ester-bridged NSs based on β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and different quantities of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), used as a cross-linking agent in stoichiometric proportions of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 moles of PMDA for each mole of CD, were synthesized and characterized in terms of swelling and rheological properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pharm
November 2020
Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges have been found to bepromising drug delivery systems. This paper investigates an application that still needs to be studied in depth, that is, the oral delivery of peptides and proteins, choosing insulin as a case study. The nanospongewas synthesized by crosslinkingβ-cyclodextrins withpyromellitic dianhydride, adopting a top-down approach for its subsequent formulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBeilstein J Org Chem
June 2020
Cyclodextrin nanosponges (CD-NS) are nanostructured crosslinked polymers made up of cyclodextrins. The reactive hydroxy groups of CDs allow them to act as multifunctional monomers capable of crosslinking to bi- or multifunctional chemicals. The most common NS synthetic pathway consists in dissolving the chosen CD and an appropriate crosslinker in organic polar aprotic liquids (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNowadays, research in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine has become increasingly predominant, focusing on the manipulation and development of materials on a nanometer scale. Polysaccharides have often been used as they are safe, non-toxic, hydrophilic, biodegradable and are low cost. Among them, starch derivatives and, in particular, cyclodextrin-based nanosponges (CD NSs) have recently emerged due to the outstanding properties attributable to their peculiar structure.
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