Pharmaceutics, Volume 18, Issue 2

Numerous scientific studies highlight the crucial role of common genetic and epigenetic factors in the development and progression of cancer. To deepen our understanding of how different VEGFR and epigenetic pathways interact in carcinogenesis, the c...

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction in microglia is an important pathogenic factor inducing the onset of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). To address this challenge, a novel hierarchical nano-delivery system was developed to deliver a PD therapeutic...

Background: Upadacitinib (UPA), a selective Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor, is an established therapeutic option for spondyloarthritis (SpA). Although its clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in randomized trials, real-world evidence regarding it...

Background: Tubulin plays a pivotal role in cell division and other essential cellular processes, making it a key pharmacological target for cancer therapy, antiparasitic treatments, and neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous compounds have been develo...

Background: Transferrin receptor-targeting monoclonal antibodies (TfRMAbs) enhance brain drug delivery by facilitating TfR-mediated transcytosis across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Data suggest that chronic TfRMAb dosing reduces their plasma...

Objectives Breast cancer remains a major cause of female cancer-related deaths, with current therapies limited by poor tumor targeting and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study designed CA/ZYII-siP-c-L—an asymmetric lipid bilayer-co...

Background: Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and/or tear film. It is one of the leading causes of ocular morbidity worldwide. Current therapy primarily consists of topical application of artificial tears and anti-infl...

Background/Objectives: Candidozyma auris is the most frequent multidrug-resistant fungal infection in the Arabian Peninsula, with high mortality rates; therefore, new medications are in high demand. Microbes in marine habitats have genetically e...

Gene delivery/administration and, in particular, small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery represent a therapeutic challenge, though very effective carriers have yet to be identified. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides with unique host&ndas...

Background/Objectives: We conducted this study to develop a generic amiodarone tablet pharmaceutically equivalent to the reference drug. This development is crucial for securing a stable supply chain for this orphan drug, which currently faces domest...

Background/Objectives: Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are widely used gene therapy vectors; yet their physicochemical stability and chromatographic behavior are highly sensitive to the solution conditions they are in. Effective separation of full (F...

Background: Brucea javanica oil (BJO) suffers from poor oral bioavailability due to oxidative degradation and hepatic first-pass effect. Methods: Here, we report a one-step, solvent-free isolation of endogenous Brucea javanica lipid droplets (BJ...

Background/Objectives: Losartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) used to treat hypertension and heart failure, shows significant variability in pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) among individuals. Methods: In this study, we dev...

Background: Nanomaterials have emerged as a transformative approach in modern pharmaceutical applications, offering advanced benefits compared to conventional therapies. Among available pharmaceutical nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have...

Background/Objectives: As a primary mRNA delivery platform, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) often induce oxidative stress that compromises mRNA translation efficiency. Natural polysaccharides are known for their antioxidant properties. Methods: To lower L...

Background: Indeterminate renal masses (IRMs) frequently require biopsy for characterization and often lead to unnecessary surgical interventions. ⁸⁹Zr-girentuximab is a positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical targeting carbonic anhydr...

Background/Objectives: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) have significantly transformed the treatment landscape for ovarian cancer; however, their clinical efficacy is often limited by poor response rates and the emergence of resistance...

Since the mid-2010s, the use of nucleic acids as drugs as received considerable attention [...]

Background/Objectives: Iron deficiency and associated iron deficiency anaemia represent a major global health burden. Parenteral nutrition (PN) patients are at increased risk of iron deficiency due to inadequate iron supplementation. Currently, iron...

Background: Oral leukoplakia (OL) with oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) carries an increased risk of malignant transformation and typically requires active management and long-term surveillance. Surgical excision remains the gold standard, yet recurre...

Background: Liver cancer is a complex malignant tumor; gambogic acid (GA) has significant anti-cancer potential, but poor water solubility and low bioavailability limit its clinical application. In this paper, by integrating nanocrystal (NC) technolo...

Diabetic chronic wounds (CWs) represent a recalcitrant, difficult-to-heal pathological condition characterized by an imbalance of the immune microenvironment. Smart composite nanocarriers for immune regulation enable multi-targeted, spatiotemporally...

Background/Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration driven by interconnected mechanisms, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, synaptic impairment, and abnormal p...

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune fibrotic disorder marked by heterogeneous clinical features and multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. The rapid emergence of targeted therapies, aimed at selectively modulating molecular...

Background: Nanoparticles are a promise for wound-healing therapies. However, its lack of efficacy/safety represents a real challenge for therapeutic use. Objectives: To overcome these problems, the ethanolic extract of Casimiroa edulis leaves, previ...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is common and associated with numerous complications including diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), which affect a third of patients and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. There are limited pharmacologic treatment...

Background: Menopause is characterised by a decline in oestrogen levels, leading to physical and psychological symptoms that significantly affect quality of life. Current parenteral oestradiol ester therapies, while effective, are often associated wi...

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to develop and formulation-design curcumin-loaded buccal films using a green deep eutectic solvent (DES) to improve drug solubility and support localized mucosal delivery, with the help of a Design of Experimen...

Background/Objectives: Carrier-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations remain the predominant platform for respiratory drug delivery. However, integrated development frameworks that align upstream particle engineering with downstream manufacturin...

Background: Prostate cancer is a leading malignancy among males, and conventional chemotherapy is often limited by insufficient tumor selectivity and systemic toxicity. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is highly expressed on prostate...

Background: Glaucoma requires therapies that extend beyond intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering strategies, and baicalein (BA) offers dual IOP-lowering and neuroprotective potential. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of BA and its major metabo...

Pulmonary drug delivery has emerged as a powerful strategy for the treatment of respiratory infectious diseases, including bacterial, fungal, and viral infections such as influenza and COVID-19, by enabling high local drug concentrations while minimi...

Background/Objectives: Poor aqueous solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) remains a critical barrier to effective oral formulation. This study investigated the production of ketoprofen amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) via hot melt...

Background: Artesunate (ART), a natural product derivative of artemisinin, exhibits striking antitumor activity. However, the clinical translation of ART is limited by rapid clearance, poor tumor selectivity, and severe off-target toxicity. To addres...

Background: Lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) systems provide sustained release and convenient administration for peptide delivery. Octreotide, a first-line somatostatin analogue, has previously been formulated into LLC systems mainly using the hydrochl...

In this Special Issue, “Development of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Modeling”, readers can find a selection of articles that discuss the most current challenges and advances in this area [...]

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving long-term metformin therapy, primarily due to impaired intestinal absorption. Conventional oral B12 supplementation is often associa...

Background/Objectives: Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer with wide interindividual pharmacokinetic variability, necessitating therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Patient-based quality control (PBQC) strategies, such as tracking medi...

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive brain tumour in adults, and despite ongoing efforts, effective treatment remains limited. Standard therapies often face challenges because of the tumour’s specific biology, its aggressive nature, a...

In the original published paper [...]

Background: Pentamidine isethionate (PTM) and miltefosine (MF) are clinically relevant antiparasitic agents whose use is limited by toxicity, emerging resistance, and the lack of effective co-delivery strategies. Tetronic^® 1307 (T1307), an amphip...

Background/Objectives: Fluvoxamine is commonly prescribed for depressive disorders in elderly patients, a population that frequently exhibits variable drug responses and increased susceptibility to adverse effects due to age-related physiological cha...

Background/Objectives: The precise elimination of Schistosoma japonicum eggs within host tissues poses a significant therapeutic obstacle due to the ineffectiveness of existing drugs in penetrating the eggs’ protective shields. This investigati...

Liver fibrosis (LF) is the final common pathological outcome of various chronic liver diseases. Advanced LF can progress to severe complications, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Currently, liver transplantation r...

Background: A new paradigm for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells was proposed. Instead of trying to eliminate cancer cells infiltrated in the brain, this new treatment is based on attracting them into a macroporous gel-based trap, where th...

Background/Objectives: Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) hold great therapeutic potential due to their precise ability to modulate gene expression, particularly for treating genetic and neurological disorders. However, effective delivery of ASOs rema...

Background/Objectives: Plant-derived bioactives offer pharmacological potential but are often limited by poor delivery and selectivity. The Pulicaria crispa dichloromethane fraction (DCMF) shows potent but non-selective antiproliferative activity. Th...

Background/Objectives: Sesamin is a bioactive lignan with well-documented anti-inflammatory activity but limited therapeutic application due to poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. This study developed phosphatidylcholine-based sesamin-lo...

Background/Objectives: Alginate-based rafts are typically used for antacids and provide a floating, gastric-retaining gel in the stomach that acts as a barrier to the entrance of stomach acid into the esophagus. Various technologies have been develop...

The prevalence of diabetes and its worldwide co-morbidities is escalating. Therefore, the number of users of therapeutic peptides including insulin analogs and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), will unavoidably increase in the com...