Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 29, Issue 18, 2023

As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared, vaccines prevent an average of 2-3 million deaths yearly from diseases. However, effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines have yet to be developed for eradicating the deadliest diseases, viz., types of cancer, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and most serious microbial infections. Furthermore, scores of the existing vaccines have disadvantages, such as failure to completely stimulate the immune system, in vivo instability, high toxicity, need for the cold chain, and multiple administrations. Thus, good vaccine candidates need to be designed to elicit adaptive immune responses. In this line, the integration of sciences along with the use of various technologies has led to the emergence of a new field in vaccine production called biomimetic nanovaccines (BNVs). Given that, nanotechnology can significantly contribute to the design of such vaccines, providing them with enhanced specificity and potency. Nanoparticles (NPs) and biomimetic NPs (BNPs) are now exploited as the main carriers for drug delivery systems, especially BNPs, whose biological mimicry makes them escape the immune system and transport drugs to the desired target. The drug accordingly seeks to camouflage itself with the help of NPs and the membranes taken from cells in the human body, including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets, and cancer cells, for more effective and ideal delivery. As BNPs have recently become the center of attention in vaccine design, this review deliberates on the advances in BNVs.

Scintigraphic imaging was satisfactory in animal experiments, i.e., in the radioimmunodetection with ¹²⁵J anti-tissue polypeptide antigen monoclonal antibodies and implanted HELA cell carcinomas. Unlabeled anti- mouse antibodies (AMAB), in a surplus of 40:1, 200:1 and 4000:1 compared to the radioactive antibody, were administered five days after administering the ¹²⁵I anti-TPA antibody (RAAB). In immunoscintigraphies, radioactivity accumulated in the liver immediately after administering the secondary antibody, and the tumor's imaging worsened. It can be expected that imunoscintigraphic imaging might improve when radioimmunodetection is re-performed after the formation of human anti-mouse antibodies (AMAB) and when the ratio of the primary to the secondary antibody is nearly equivalent because, in this ratio, the formation of immune complexes might be accelerated. It is possible to measure the quantity of formed anti-mouse antibodies (AMAB) with immunography measurements. A second administration of diagnostic or therapeutic monoclonal antibodies might lead to the formation of immune complexes if the quantities of the monoclonal antibodies and the anti-mouse antibodies have an equivalent ratio. A second performance of the radioimmunodetection four to eight weeks after the first radioimmunodetection can achieve better tumor imaging because human anti-mouse antibodies (AMAB) can be formed. Immune complexes of the radioactive antibody and the human anti-mouse antibody (AMAB) can be formed to concentrate radioactivity in the tumor.

Local anesthetic (LA) compounds decrease the permeability of the ion channels to sodium, which in turn, reduces the rate of depolarization. These agents (a.k.a. -caines) are also used to depress mucosal sensations, e.g., gag reflex in the form of topical anesthetics. Overdose of LA can lead to local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), which is the precursor of potentially lethal consequences on clinical grounds. There is a wide array of possible presentations of LAST, from mild findings, such as temporary hypertensive events, to serious conditions, including refractory cardiac dysfunction, dysrhythmias and prearrest situations. Lidocaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, ropivacaine, and bupivacaine are among the most commonly used members of the family. The agents’ dosages should be adjusted in children, elderly and fragile individuals and those with organ failures, as the metabolism of the compounds will be impaired. The ideal body weight, along with hepatic and renal functional reserves, will have an impact on elimination kinetics. Systemic absorption is an untoward consequence of LA administration which deserves every means of prevention. Intravenous lipid emulsion is an important life-saving treatment in severe, life-threatening cases. This narrative review article is designed to cover the clinical uses of LA in children, recognition, and management of untoward effects of the agents, with special emphasis on the LAST.

Curcumin is a potent bioactive compound of Curcuma longa. Curcumin comprises a broad spectrum of biological activities, including hepatoprotective, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti- oxidant, etc. However, its low aqueous solubility, rapid excretion, and poor bioavailability restricted its therapeutic uses. To resolve these issues, novel nano-systems have now been developed to increase the bioactivity and bioavailability of curcumin by lowering the particle size, altering the surface, and increasing the efficacy of its encapsulation with various nanocarriers. Nanotechnology-based treatments can broaden the outlook for individuals with critical conditions. This article explores curcumin-based nanoparticulate carrier systems that should be employed to overcome this natural ingredient's inherent limitations. These nanocarriers also provide physical and chemical stability by encapsulating the drug into the core or matrix of the lipids or polymers. Nanotechnologists developed curcumin-encapsulated various nanoparticulate systems, including solid lipidic nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nano-structured lipid carriers, polymer conjugates, etc., to improve curcumin bioavailability and boost the sustained release of curcumin to target cells.

Viral disease is a well-known cause of a significant impact on economic losses and threatens developed and developing societies. High mutation rates and the lack of ability of conventional formulations to target specific cells pose substantial hurdles to the successful treatment of viral diseases. We conducted a preliminary search by a standard procedure. With hand searching, we conducted an advanced search across several electronic databases. After defining the selection criteria, two writers independently reviewed and evaluated the first 500 abstracts before screening the remaining 300. Since there was 97% agreement on the screening decisions, only one reviewer conducted the screening. The pre-planned data extraction process was accomplished, and the thoroughness of the description of participation techniques was assessed. Additional data extraction was carried out for articles with the most detailed illustrations. Four stakeholder representatives co-authored this systematic review. Incorporating selective carbohydrate polymers into the antiviral pharmaceutical compositions could help to manage biological complications associated with viral infections. We included 172 papers in which authors were involved in a systematic review. The present review explains the role of carbohydrate polymers (chitosan, carrageenan, alginate, cyclodextrin, dextran, and heparin) in the prevention and treatment of viral infections in terms of their source, molecular weight, surface charge, chemical composition, and structure. Additionally, the review describes the primary mechanism of drug delivery performance of carbohydrate polymers to improve the antiviral properties and pharmacokinetic behaviour of lamivudine, zidovudine, acyclovir, etc. The article discussed the role of carbohydrate polymers in mitigating virus-induced associated complications like bacterial infection, cardiovascular disorder, oxidative stress, and metabolic disorder. As a result, this work will provide valuable information to scientists, researchers, and clinicians for suitable carbohydrate polymer-based pharmaceutical development.

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are mainly known as anti-hypertensive drugs. Recent evidence suggests their anti-tumor potential against renal cancer. More than one-fourth of patients present with metastasis on their first visit. Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential clinical impact of ACEI/ARB on metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Methods: We searched through several online databases, including Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, to find clinical studies that have investigated the association between treatment with ACEI/ARB and the survival of patients with mRCC. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were utilized to assess the strength of the association. Results: A total of 6 studies with a total number of 2,364 patients were found eligible for the final analysis. The HR for the relationship between ACEI/ARB use and overall survival (OS) showed patients undergoing treatment with ACEI/ARB to have higher OS than non-users (HR: 0.664, 95% CI 0.577-0.764, p = 0.000). Furthermore, the HR for the relationship between ACEI/ARB use and progression-free survival (PFS) showed patients undergoing treatment with ACEI/ARB to have higher PFS than non-users (HR: 0.734, 95% CI 0.695-0.794, p = 0.000). Conclusion: The results of this review offer ACEI/ARB as a potential therapeutic option associated with improved survival outcomes in patients receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.