Recent Patents on Nanotechnology - Volume 17, Issue 4, 2023

The advent of technology provides a solution to various drug delivery-related problems by undertaking the development of a better drug delivery system, i.e., nano-sized drug delivery systems as they have shown huge prospects for effective delivery of drugs in the body. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are such type of novel drug delivery system in which lipids of both solid and liquid types are used as a core for the disorganized matrix, which prevents the solid lipid crystallization and increases drug payload. They are generally composed of solid and liquid lipids, emulsifiers, drugs, and other various additives, which are selected based on purity, chemical stability, the concentration of materials required, compatibility, biodegradability, processing type, cost, and their regulatory status. Placing bioactives into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) has enhanced pharmacokinetic characteristics by increasing therapeutic functionality and prolonging release from these carrier systems. In our opinion, the search involves two steps viz. fabrication strategies, production methods, and the impact of various types of substances on them, as well as the release mechanism and targeting modalities. In addition to other applications, the use of NLCs in gene therapy has marked a promising path for new and better drug delivery systems. Further development of various dosage forms using NLCs, like NLC based hydrogels, is being done for improving the overall aesthetic properties, leading to the desired therapeutic effect of the incorporated active. This review highlights several elements of NLCs, such as structural model and types, excipients utilized, factors affecting NLC production, preparation techniques, characterization, current applications, patents, challenges, and opportunities.

Background: Drugs with poor solubility exhibit hurdles in their formulation due to poor dissolution and low bioavailability. Nanocrystallization is a great technique for incorporating poorly soluble drugs and is associated with many benefits. Objective: The objective of the present review is to discuss formulation techniques for the generation of Nanocrystals (NCs) and illustrate the various advantages of NCs. It also explains commonly used stabilizers and guidelines for their safe use for enhancing NCs and provides a deep insight into various biomedical applications of NCs. Methods: The review was extracted from the study carried out in the general literature to emphasize the importance of NCs in various formulations. Results: NCs are a widely accepted approach to enhancing drug solubility. There are so many marketed products of nanocrystal drug formulations that are being used to treat life-threatening disorders. Two techniques can be used to formulate NCs, i.e., the bottom-up method and the top-down method. Their main biomedical applications are found in oral, parenteral, pulmonary, ocular, dermal, and mucosal formulations. Conclusion: In the present review, different formulation methods of NCs have been discussed in detail, followed by explaining the advantages and various targeted drug delivery systems covered by NCs formulations. The development of NCs-based formulation avoids the limitations of other systems used for targeted drug delivery.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a well-known carcinogen, and hence its removal from aqueous media is an important area of research in the field of environmental engineering. Adsorptive removal and catalytic reduction are the two most common techniques applied for this purpose. In this regard, nanoparticle-mediated technology has contributed significantly. In the current review article, a systematic investigation has been carried out to find the latest developments that took place in the domain of Cr(VI) removal by nanotechnology. The major portion deals with the advancement and application of the new-age materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), g-C3N4, MXenes, zero-valent iron (ZVI), and their composites, for the Cr(VI) remediation purpose. Various interesting mechanisms, as proposed by different research groups, have been covered. Applications of the nanocomposites in the real wastewater scenario have also been highlighted. Different characterization techniques often conducted in order to get insight into Cr(VI) removal process have been mentioned. Some patents related to this field have been discussed. Lastly, the future scope of the nanomaterials, current challenges, feasibility of using these nanomaterials in large-scale treatment plants, etc., have been addressed before concluding the article.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a life-threatening metabolic syndrome, but patient compliance is poor due to the pain and inconvenience caused by the subcutaneous injection of insulin and other macromolecular diabetic therapies. Current challenges in DM management are to optimize the use of available therapies and reduce complications. For clinical improvements, future therapies need to be easier to use, achieving tighter glycemic control, better safety profiles, and reduced manufacturing costs. The medical applications of nanotechnology are enormous and have been proven to be the best approach to improve compliance and clinical efficacy by overturning biopharmaceutical obstacles. Nanoformulations enhance the properties of conventional drugs and are specific to the targeted delivery site. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview of the application of nano-formulations in diabetes management. We analyze the current state of most of the available approaches which are in various stages of research and development. Herein, we review the developing role of nanotechnology in diabetes management and focus on the technologies that we feel are most likely to have an impact.

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been expanding. SARS-CoV caused an outbreak in early 2000, while MERS-CoV had a similar expansion of illness in early 2010. Nanotechnology has been employed for nasal delivery of drugs to conquer a variety of challenges that emerge during mucosal administration. The role of nanotechnology is highly relevant to counter this “virus” nano enemy. This technique directs the safe and effective distribution of accessible therapeutic choices using tailored nanocarriers, as well as the interruption of virion assembly, by preventing the early contact of viral spike glycoprotein with host cell surface receptors. This study summarises what we know about earlier SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV illnesses, with the goal of better understanding the recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus. It also explains the progress made so far in creating COVID-19 vaccines/ treatments using existing methods. Furthermore, we studied nanotechnology- based vaccinations and therapeutic medications that are now undergoing clinical trials and other alternatives.