Current Drug Delivery - Volume 22, Issue 8, 2025

Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles that widely participate in intercellular communication. An increasing number of studies have reported on the neuroprotective effects of stem cell-derived exosomes in brain diseases through various delivery methods. However, only a few reports are available on the delivery and uptake of stem cell-derived exosomes in the brains of mice of different ages.

PKH-26-labelled mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes were collected, and their uptake was investigated in the brains of mice aged 2 weeks, 2 months, and >6 months, 24 hours after intranasal delivery.

No exosomes were distributed in the whole brains of 2-week-old mice after 24 hours of intranasal delivery. However, a small number of exosomes were found in the olfactory bulb, cortex, and hippocampus of 2-month-old mice, with no exosomes observed in the cerebellum. In contrast, a large number of exosomes were ingested in all brain regions, including the olfactory bulb, cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, of >6-month-old mice.

Exosomes can enter the brains of adult mice through intranasal administration, but there are differences in the uptake rate among mice of different ages. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the future clinical administration of exosomes for treating brain disorders.

Desloratadine, a second-generation antihistaminic drug, is poorly water-soluble and requires amelioration of the dissolution rate to improve its pharmacokinetics properties.

This study investigated the impact of polymer, surfactant types, and concentration on the particle size, zeta potential, and dissolution efficiency of nanosuspensions formulated through the solvent antisolvent precipitation method. To optimize the delivery of Desloratadine nanosuspension, we used Minitab software and a 4-factor, 2-level full factorial design. Physicochemical properties and drug release studies were conducted to evaluate the suggested nanosuspension formulations. The optimization goals included minimizing particle size and zeta potential while maximizing dissolution efficiencies.

The selected optimal nanosuspension demonstrated favourable values, including a particle size of 478.63 ± 15.67 nm, a zeta potential of -36.24 ± 3.21 mV, and dissolution efficiencies in double distilled water and buffer of 90.29 ± 3.75% and 93.70 ± 3.67%, respectively. The optimized formulation was subjected to additional analysis using X-ray powder diffraction (XPRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

The optimized nanosuspension formulation also underwent further studies under optimal lyophilization conditions, revealing the effectiveness of mannitol as a cryoprotectant at a concentration of 8%.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) are widely used as ideal nanovehicles for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the balance between high anti-periodontitis activity and low biotoxicity has been challenging to maintain in most relevant studies owing to the slow degradation of silica in living organisms.

In this study, responsive hydroxyapatite (HAP) was doped into the MSN skeleton, and the chemotherapeutic drug minocycline hydrochloride (MH) was loaded into the pores of MSN, forming a negatively charged drug delivery system. Cationic chitosan (COS) is a biodegradable material with high antibacterial performance and good biosafety. In this study, COS was immobilized on the surface of the drug-loaded particles through stable charge interaction to construct a composite drug delivery system (MH@MSNion@COS).

In vitro and cellular experiments demonstrated effective degradation of the nanocarrier system and synchronized controlled release of the drug. Notably, compared with single MH administration, this system, in which MH and COS jointly regulated the expression levels of periodontitis-associated inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and iNOS), better inhibited the progress of periodontitis and induced tissue regeneration without showing significant toxic side effects in cells.

This system provides a promising strategy for the design of intelligent, efficient, and safe anti-periodontitis drug delivery systems.

Obesity has become a pressing global health crisis, reaching alarming proportions and bearing significant consequences for public health on a global scale.

In this research, chitosan nanoparticles were employed to encapsulate ginger extract, and the impact of this formulation on lipid metabolism and obesity was investigated using a rat model.

In vitro experiments, encompassing assessments of cell viability, microstructure, anti-inflammatory activity, and release dynamics, were conducted to comprehensively evaluate the nanoformulation. The study extended to examining the potential anti-obesity efficacy of the developed nanoformulation in rats induced with obesity through a high-fat diet.

In vitro findings affirmed the safety of the carriers and revealed their robust anti-inflammatory properties. The average particle size for ginger-loaded and ginger-free chitosan nanoparticles was measured to be 458.92 ± 139.35 nm and 466.29 ± 142.71 nm, respectively. The in vivo investigation demonstrated the dose-dependent effects of ginger extract-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, manifesting in a reduction of obesity and improvement in liver function.

These promising results suggest that the developed nanoformulation could be considered a viable therapeutic option for individuals struggling with obesity.

Polymer prodrug nanoparticles have become an emerging drug delivery system in cancer therapy due to their high drug loading. However, their poor drug release and lack of tumor cell targeting limit their clinical application.

This study aimed to prepare targeted and reduction-reactive polyprodrug nanocarriers based on curcumin (CUR) for co-delivery of doxorubicin (DOX), labeled as DOX/HAPCS NPs, and to investigate their anticancer activity.

The polymer was synthesized and characterized by chemical method. The drug loading and drug release behavior of DOX and CUR in polymer nanoparticles were determined. Moreover, the antitumor effects of polymer nanoparticles were evaluated using an MTT experiment and tumor inhibition experiment, and the synergistic effect of co-delivered DOX and CUR was explored.

The particle size of DOX/HAPCS NPs was 152.5nm, and the potential was about -26.74 mV. The drug loading capacity of DOX and CUR was about 7.56% and 34.75%, respectively, indicating high drug loading capacity and good stability. DOX and CUR released over 90% within 24 hours in the tumor environment. Compared with free DOX, DOX/HAPCS NPs demonstrated significantly enhanced cell and tumor inhibitory effects (P<0.05) in vivo and in vitro and changed drug distribution to avoid toxic side effects on normal tissues. The combined index showed that DOX and CUR showed synergistic anticancer effects at a set ratio.

The prepared reduction-responsive targeted polymer nanomedical DOX/HAPCS NPs exhibited a synergistic anti-cancer effect, with high drug loading capacity and the ability to release drugs in proportion, making it a promising polymer nanoparticle drug delivery system.

Eczema, an inflammatory skin disease causing intense itching, is a function of a range of internal and external factors, impacting individuals of all ages and leading to economic loss. Inflammation is the most important manifestation of eczema, and Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO) extracted from Matricaria recutita possesses excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

In this study, Matricaria recutita microemulsions were prepared by the trans-phase emulsification method and their stability was determined by evaluating the relevant indexes. Establishment of 2,4-dinitro-chlorobenzene-induced AD model in mice. Detection of serum indexes of IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α, and on pathological tissue sections, the HE staining, toluidine blue staining, immunohistochemistry, and observation were performed.

The study obtained optimal conditions for the preparation of microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita. Through quality evaluation, it was found that the microemulsion increased stability, reduced irritation, and retained anti-inflammatory activity and therapeutic effects on eczema compared to Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO). Studies have demonstrated that microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita and Matricaria recutita significantly down regulate the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-6. It was shown by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining that both Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO) and Matricaria recutita microemulsion (MRME) improved the inflammatory status of eczematous skin tissues in mice. The number of mast cells expressed in the tissues was decreased in the surface-treated group, as shown by toluidine blue staining. Additionally, the number of mast cells expressed in the tissues in the surface-treated group was reduced, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed that MREO and MRME have immunomodulatory effects on the tissues.

The study showed that microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita may serve as a novel remedy for eczema.

The last strategy in targeted drug delivery systems is to deliver the anticancer drug to the tumor tissue to increase its therapeutic effect and minimize its undesirable side effects. In line with this goal in this research, the redox/pH-responsive disulfide magnetic nanocarriers based on PF127-NH2/L-cysteine-CM-β-CD-FA were synthesized and evaluated in a doxorubicin delivery system.

We effectively surrounded Fe3O4 nanoparticles with SiO2 using the sol-gel method, and then confidently coated them with oleic acid on Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles.. In another reaction, a PF127-NH2/L-cysteine-CM-β-CD-FA was synthesized. The process involved modifying pluronic F127 (PF 127) with maleic anhydride and aminating it to form PF127-NH2. The obtained PF127-NH2 was attached to L-cysteine, followed by condensing with carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin and then functionalized by folic acid. Finally, PF127-NH2/L-cysteine-CM-β-CD-FA was coated on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles, and the resulting PF127-NH2/L-cysteine-CM-β-CD-FA was disulfidated to form the final nanocarrier network, which was abbreviated as LCMNPs-SS. The doxorubicin was used as a model drug and loaded into the LCMNPs-SS nanocarrier.

The LCMNPs-SS nanocarrier exhibited excellent properties for controlled release, with a well-defined release rate, a controllable level by an external magnet, and adjusting by DL-dithiothreitol concentration. The LCMNPs-SS nanocarrier could also break apart when exposed to an oxidant or a change in pH. This meant that the drug release could be fine-tuned in response to temperature, pH, or more than one stimulus.

These drug-carrying systems are valuable in reducing the dose of doxorubicin. High internalization of the synthesized LCMNPs-SS caused sped cellular uptake.