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Pharmaceutics
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Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers,...
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Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers, Liver Disease and Psoriasis

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 6213

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaofei Xin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
Interests: hybrid nanoparticles; transferrin; matrix metalloproteinases; immunomodulator; chemoimmunotherapy
Dr. Lisha Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
Interests: drug delivery; cancer immunotherapy; cardiovascular disease; pharmaceutical science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yunfan Kong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Interests: tissue regeneration; nerve repair; hydrogel

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study on mortality and disability rates across countries indicate a rapidly increasing health and economic burden of cancers and liver disease in many parts of the world. Interestingly, researchers have found that patients with psoriasis had an increased risk of developing cancers, including colon, kidney, and liver cancers, etc. In addition, patients with severe psoriasis and developed cancer also had an increased overall risk of dying.

This Special Issue aims to explore the latest advancements in the drug delivery system and biopharmaceuticals specifically targeting cancers, liver disease, and psoriasis. The focus will be on innovative approaches, mechanisms of action, and clinical outcomes related to these therapies in challenging cancers, liver disease, and psoriasis. By providing a platform for original research articles and comprehensive reviews, this Special Issue seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the potential and limitations of drugs in these diseases, ultimately contributing to improved therapeutic strategies and patient outcomes.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collect submissions that focus on the drug delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in cancers, liver disease, and psoriasis. Original research articles and reviews, including in vitro and in vivo evidence and clinical data, are welcome.

Dr. Xiaofei Xin
Dr. Lisha Liu
Dr. Yunfan Kong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • drug delivery
  • lipid nanoparticles
  • liposomes
  • exosomes
  • long-acting injections
  • topical delivery
  • supermolecules
  • hydrogel
  • nucleic acid therapeutics
  • gene-editing therapeutics
  • small molecules
  • monoclonal antibody
  • cell-based therapy
  • biopharmaceuticals

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6549 KiB  
Article
Co-Amorphization, Dissolution, and Stability of Quench-Cooled Drug–Drug Coamorphous Supersaturating Delivery Systems with RT-Unstable Amorphous Components
by Yan-Fei Zhang, Qian Yao, Xiao-Ying Lin, Ying-Hui Ma, Hui-Feng Zhang, Huan Yu, Shang-Qiang Mu, Chuang Zhang, Hao Geng, Cheng-Yi Hao, Li-Li Zuo, Di Wu, Yue Li, Li-Li Jin and Nian-Qiu Shi
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(12), 1488; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16121488 - 21 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1031
Abstract
Background: Supersaturating drug delivery systems (SDDSs) have gained significant attention as a promising strategy to enhance the solubility and bioabsorption of Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) II drugs. To overcome challenges associated with polymer-based amorphous SDDS (aSDDS), coamorphous (CAM) systems have emerged as [...] Read more.
Background: Supersaturating drug delivery systems (SDDSs) have gained significant attention as a promising strategy to enhance the solubility and bioabsorption of Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) II drugs. To overcome challenges associated with polymer-based amorphous SDDS (aSDDS), coamorphous (CAM) systems have emerged as a viable alternative. Among them, “drug-drug” CAM (ddCAM) systems show considerable potential for combination drug therapy. However, many drugs in their pure amorphous forms are unstable at room temperature (RT), complicating their formation and long-term stability profiles. Consequently, limited knowledge exists regarding the behavior of ddCAMs containing RT-unstable components formed via quench cooling. Methods: In this study, we used naproxen (NAP), a RT-unstable amorphous drug, in combination with felodipine (FEL) or nitrendipine (NTP), two RT-stable amorphous drugs, to create “FEL-NAP” and “NTP-NAP” ddCAM pairs via quench cooling. Our work used a series of methods to perform a detailed analysis on the co-amorphization, dissolution, solubility, and stability profiles of ddCAMs containing RT-unstable drugs, contributing to advancements in co-amorphization techniques for generating SDDS. Results: This study revealed that the co-amorphization and stability profiles of ddCAMs containing RT-unstable components produced via a quench-cooling method were closely related to drug-drug pairing types and ratios. Both quench-cooling and incorporation into coamorphous systems improved the dissolution, solubility, and physical stability of individual APIs. Conclusions: Our findings provide deeper insight into the co-amorphization, dissolution, and stability characteristics of specific drug-drug coamorphous systems FEL-NAP and NTP-NAP, offering valuable guidance for developing new ddCAM coamorphous formulations containing some RT-unstable drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers, Liver Disease and Psoriasis)
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22 pages, 3597 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy of Cytarabine and Idarubicin in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using Liposomal Formulation: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
by Chunxia Zhu, Yang Liu, Xiaojun Ji, Yaxuan Si, Xianhao Tao, Xiaohua Zhang and Lifang Yin
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(9), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16091220 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia among adults with the recommend therapy of combination of cytarabine and idarubicin in the induction phase. The uncoordinated pharmacokinetics prevent adequate control of drug ratio following systemic administration. Therefore, the [...] Read more.
Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia among adults with the recommend therapy of combination of cytarabine and idarubicin in the induction phase. The uncoordinated pharmacokinetics prevent adequate control of drug ratio following systemic administration. Therefore, the dual-loaded liposomes containing cytarabine and idarubicin for synergistic effects were proposed and investigated. Methods: The molar ratio of cytarabine and idarubicin for synergistic effects was investigated. The dual-loaded liposomes were prepared and characterized by particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, cryo-Transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and in vitro stability. The in vitro cytotoxicity and cell uptake of liposomes were determined within CCRF-CEM cells. The PK experiments was carried out in male SD rats. The in vivo antitumor effect was carried out within CD-1 nude female mice. The antitumor mechanism of liposomes was investigated. Results: The synergistic molar ratios were found to be in the range of 20:1~40:1. The size distribution of the dual-loaded liposomes was approximately 100 nm with PDI ≤ 0.1, a zeta potential of approximately −30 mV, an entrapment efficiency of cytarabine and idarubicin of >95% with spherical structure and uniform distribution, and in vitro stability for 21 d. The drugs in the liposomes can be quickly uptaken by the leukemia cells. The PK experiments showed that the molar ratio of cytarabine to idarubicin in plasma was maintained at 30:1 within 4 h. The efficacy of liposomes was significantly enhanced. Conclusions: The dual-loaded liposomes containing cytarabine and idarubicin showed enhanced antitumor efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers, Liver Disease and Psoriasis)
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Review

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25 pages, 2537 KiB  
Review
Topical Therapy in Psoriasis: Clinical Benefits, Advances in Novel Drug Delivery Strategies, and Gene Therapy Regimen
by Ying Zhu, Yong Zhou, Xiaonan Ma, Zhenduo Duan, Hong Xu, Yuanyuan Li, Yunfan Kong, Lei Yang and Xiaofei Xin
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(3), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17030283 - 20 Feb 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1553
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a complex pathogenesis, influenced by various factors involving environment, genes, and immunity. The main symptoms of psoriasis include erythema, scales, itching, etc. At present, therapeutic drugs for psoriasis are continually evolving towards enhancing treatment efficacy and [...] Read more.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a complex pathogenesis, influenced by various factors involving environment, genes, and immunity. The main symptoms of psoriasis include erythema, scales, itching, etc. At present, therapeutic drugs for psoriasis are continually evolving towards enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing side effects. Firstly, the pathogenesis and characteristics of psoriasis were summarized. Then, the types and benefits of topical therapy were introduced, such as the aspects of avoiding systemic toxic effects, first pass effect, and gastrointestinal reactions with accelerating the onset time of the drugs and improving its efficacy, and were compared to systemic drugs. In the case of methotrexate, cyclosporin A, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, and phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4) inhibitors, this review had a further discussion on the improvement and translation of these molecules from systemic therapy to topical therapy in clinical practice. To further augment the limitation of skin permeability, nanotechnology and novel topical drug delivery system including nanomedicines, hydrogels, ionic liquids, and microneedles were elaborated for psoriasis management. Also, exploration of topical targeting pathogenic genes through small interfering RNA (siRNA) using nanoparticles and ionic liquids (ILs) is of great significance for long-term treatment in psoriasis. Taken together, the development of numerous topical delivery platforms is expected to achieve enhanced penetration, and precise and efficient delivery of small molecule and RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics in psoriasis with clinical translation prospects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers, Liver Disease and Psoriasis)
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16 pages, 1068 KiB  
Review
The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Development and Treatment of Psoriasis: Narrative Review
by Bin Tang, Yang Bi, Xuwei Zheng, Yujie Yang, Xiaobing Huang, Kexin Yang, Haixin Zhong, Ling Han, Chuanjian Lu and Haiming Chen
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(12), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16121586 (registering DOI) - 12 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1418
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory polygenic disease with significant impacts on skin and joints, leading to substantial treatment challenges and healthcare costs. The quest for novel therapeutic avenues has recently highlighted extracellular vesicles (EVs) due to their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic agents [...] Read more.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory polygenic disease with significant impacts on skin and joints, leading to substantial treatment challenges and healthcare costs. The quest for novel therapeutic avenues has recently highlighted extracellular vesicles (EVs) due to their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis. EVs are nano-sized, lipid membrane-bound particles secreted by cells that have emerged as promising tools for targeted drug delivery, owing to their unique structure. This review delves into how EVs, either as mediators of cell communication or via their cargo (such as miRNA), directly participate in the pathology of psoriasis, influencing processes such as immune regulation, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Furthermore, this review explores the innovative application of EVs in psoriasis treatment, both as direct therapeutic agents and as vehicles for drug delivery, offering a novel approach to overcoming the current treatment limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy in Cancers, Liver Disease and Psoriasis)
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