Medical Applications of Biologic Drugs

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biologics and Biosimilars".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 629

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: natural products; antioxidants; phytochemicals; nutrivigilance; toxicology; dendrimers; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: natural products; phytochemical analyses; antioxidants; polyphenols; environmental sciences; dendrimers; drug delivery; nutrivigilance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: natural products; drug delivery; dendrimers; analytical methods; antioxidants; pharmacovigilance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: natural products; drug delivery; analytical methods; biochemistry; laboratory tests; antioxidants; dendrimers; pharmacovigilance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: toxicological assessment; cancer and degenerative disease; experimental models; natural products; drug delivery; new formulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the 1980s, biologic drugs have revolutionized disease management by offering distinct benefits in optimizing therapeutic outcomes and improving the quality of life. These smart delivery systems can provide a targeted delivery of drugs, an enhanced efficacy, and a lower risk of side effects. In the era of personalized medicine, the use of biologic drugs represents an innovative treatment, and is more and more spread in different therapeutic areas, from cancer therapy to regenerative medicine. 
The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect papers that offer novel insights in the field of biologics such as chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties, technological processes, and therapeutical activity. Key areas include design, preparations and characterizations of biologics, drug delivery systems, drug delivery challenges, formulation, pharmacokinetics, biopharmaceuticals, drug release and action mechanisms, in vitro and in vivo studies regarding their effectiveness or toxicity, therapeutic and clinical evaluations, etc.

Authors are invited to send manuscripts including original research or literature reviews referring to biologic drugs used in different medical domains.

Dr. Carmen Maximiliana Dobrea
Dr. Adina Frum
Dr. Anca Butuca
Dr. Claudiu Morgovan
Prof. Dr. Felicia-Gabriela Gligor
Prof. Dr. Cristina Adriana Dehelean
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • monoclonal antibodies
  • vaccines
  • hormones
  • biologic enzymes
  • immunosuppressants
  • immunomodulators
  • biologic drug development
  • mechanism of action
  • safety and efficacy
  • therapeutic outcomes
  • biosimilars
  • gene therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

38 pages, 8552 KiB  
Review
Enzyme-Based Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutics for Inflammatory Diseases
by Kannan Badri Narayanan
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(5), 606; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17050606 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 354
Abstract
Inflammation is a multifaceted biological response of the immune system against various harmful stimuli, including pathogens (such as bacteria and viruses), cellular damage, toxins, and natural/synthetic irritants. This protective mechanism is essential for eliminating the cause of injury, removing damaged cells, and initiating [...] Read more.
Inflammation is a multifaceted biological response of the immune system against various harmful stimuli, including pathogens (such as bacteria and viruses), cellular damage, toxins, and natural/synthetic irritants. This protective mechanism is essential for eliminating the cause of injury, removing damaged cells, and initiating the repair process. While inflammation is a fundamental component of the body’s defense and healing process, its dysregulation can lead to pathological consequences, contributing to various acute and chronic diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, and other systemic complications. Generally, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), antihistamines, biologics, and colchicine are used as pharmacological agents in the management of inflammatory diseases. However, these conventional treatments often have limitations, including adverse side effects, long-term toxicity, and drug resistance. In contrast, enzyme-based therapeutics have emerged as a promising alternative due to their high specificity, catalytic efficiency, and ability to modulate inflammatory pathways with reduced side effects. These enzymes function by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting cytokine transcription, degrading circulating cytokines, and blocking cytokine release by targeting exocytosis-related receptors. Additionally, their role in tissue repair and regeneration further enhances their therapeutic potential. Most natural anti-inflammatory enzymes belong to the oxidoreductase class, including catalase and superoxide dismutase, as well as hydrolases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, nattokinase, bromelain, papain, serratiopeptidase, collagenase, hyaluronidase, and lysozyme. Engineered enzymes, such as Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) protease and botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A), have also demonstrated significant potential in targeted anti-inflammatory therapies. Recent advancements in enzyme engineering, nanotechnology-based enzyme delivery, and biopharmaceutical formulations have further expanded their applicability in treating inflammatory diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of both natural and engineered enzymes, along with their formulations, used as anti-inflammatory therapeutics. It highlights improvements in stability, efficacy, and specificity, as well as minimized immunogenicity, while discussing their mechanisms of action and clinical applications and potential future developments in enzyme-based biomedical therapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical Applications of Biologic Drugs)
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