Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery

Biography

Biography: Alejandro Sosnik

Abstract

Nanoparticle-in-Microparticle Delivery Systems (NiMDSs) are a novel kind of delivery platform composed of a drug that is encapsulated within a nanoparticle and is then, re-encapsulated within a microparticle (Fig. 1).

The nanoparticle component displays maximum surface area that increases the drug dissolution rate and the bioavailability after oral administration, while the microparticle one allows the loading of high drug cargos and the spatiotemporal fine-tuning of the release in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the use of mucoadhesive polymers for the production of the micrometric component would prolong the residence time of the NiMDS in the gut, maximizing the intestinal absorption of the drug and likely enabling a reduction in the frequency of administration. Aiming to improve the biopharmaceutical performance of poorly water-soluble drugs that demand administration several times a day, my research group investigates NiMDSs for the controlled release of antiretrovirals by the oral route to optimize the anti-HIV therapy. To achieve this, an innovative simplified two-component NiMDS comprised of pure nanoparticles of the poorly water-soluble drugs are encapsulated within film-coated mucoadhesive microparticles. This strategy is especially appealing for poorly water-soluble drugs that do not undergo fast dissolution in the gastrointestinal medium and where the dissolution rate is capitalized to control the release of the drug from the carrier. At the same time, it could be extended to more soluble drugs with the appropriate film-coating of the microparticle surface with a water-insoluble and permeable membrane that controls the release kinetics. In this presentation, I will discuss the concept and overview the most recent results employing this delivery approach.