Browsing by study line "Pharmaceutical technology"
Now showing items 1-13 of 13
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(2020)The solubility of a poorly water-soluble drug can be improved by converting the crystalline drug into an amorphous form. However, the amorphous form is metastable due to the higher energy state and recrystallization may occur during storage and dissolution. The amorphous form can be stabilized by forming an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD), where the drug molecules are dispersed to the solid medium, e.g. hydrophilic polymer. One preparation method for amorphous solid dispersions is spray drying, where a solution containing a drug and polymer is converted into small droplets in a drying chamber, in which the solvent evaporates in a hot gas stream and solid particles are formed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an ASD of a poorly water-soluble drug can be prepared by spray drying using 20:80 (V/V) ethanol-water mixture as a solvent in a feed solution. Indomethacin (γ-polymorph) was used as a model drug and polyvinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate (PVPVA) as a polymer. The aim was to find a suitable formulation where the drug is in the amorphous form after spray drying and remains in the amorphous form during storage. The ratios of the drug to polymer in the spray-dried formulations were 1:4, 1:6, 1:8, 1:10, 1:12 and 1:16. The study also examined whether a change in one process parameter, pump feed rate, affects the amorphous nature and stability of the resulting spray-dried solid dispersions. Two different pump feed rates, a higher 30% and a lower 15%, were used in the study. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) was used to characterize the solid-state of the spray-dried formulations. XRPD measurements were performed immediately after spray drying and on selected time points during storage. Formulations 1:10 at 30% feed rate, 1:12 at both feed rates and 1:16 at 30% feed rate were amorphous after spray drying. In 1:12 (30%) and 1:16 (30%) formulations indomethacin remained in amorphous form over the study periods (22 and 56 days, respectively). In other formulations, indomethacin was found to be in crystalline α-form immediately after spray drying or recrystallization to the α-form occurred during storage. The interaction between indomethacin and PVPVA was studied by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR). The aim of the SPR measurements was to understand the interaction between these substances in the feed solution used in spray drying. PVPVA solutions of various concentrations (1%, 0.5%, 0.1% and 0.01%) were injected to the surface of the gold sensor coated with crystalline γ-indomethacin, and the changes in the SPR signal responses were monitored during the interaction. The same measurements were also performed on a pure gold sensor without indomethacin. An interaction between indomethacin and PVPVA can be observed, and based on the measurements, a polymer layer with a thickness of about 1 nm was formed on the surface of the indomethacin sensor regardless of the concentration of the polymer solution. Thus, even a small amount of polymer in solution is sufficient to cover the indomethacin crystals. This may also occur in the feed solution during spray drying, but further studies with SPR are still needed, especially with amorphous indomethacin. This study showed that an ASD of indomethacin and PVPVA can be successfully prepared by spray drying using an aqueous feed solution. Spray-dried 1:12 and 1:16 formulations at a higher pump feed rate were found to be stable enough for further studies. If the spray-dried material is further formulated into a pharmaceutical product, indomethacin must remain in amorphous form throughout the shelf-life of the product to maintain the improved solubility.
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(2021)Lääketieteen kehittyessä yksilöllisen lääkehoidon tarpeeseen on kiinnitetty enemmän huomiota kuin aikaisemmin ja etenkin lapsille lääkkeiden tarkka annostelu on erityisen tärkeää. Kaupallisilla valmisteilla tarpeeksi pienet annokset eivät usein ole mahdollisia eikä tablettien puolittaminen takaa tarkkaa lääkkeiden annostelua. 3D-tulostamista on ajateltu mahdollisena vaihtoehtona ex tempore -lääkkeiden tuotantoon ja sen mahdollisuuksia on tutkittu laajalti viime vuosien aikana. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten ekstruusiomenetelmällä tulostetut varfariinikalvot vertautuvat sairaala-apteekin käyttämiin varfariiniannosjauheisiin, sekä olisiko kyseistä menetelmää mahdollista hyödyntää sairaala-apteekeissa. Tutkimuksessa valmistettiin puolikiinteän aineen ekstruusiolla 0,1 mg:n, 0,5 mg:n ja 2 mg:n varfariinikalvoja, jotka kuivattiin 85 ℃:ssa valmistusprosessin nopeuttamiseksi. Kalvoja verrattiin saman vahvuisiin varfariinia sisältäviin sairaala-apteekin valmistamiin annosjauheisiin. Kalvoissa käytettiin hydroksipropyylimetyyliselluloosaa kalvonmuodostaja-aineena ja glyserolia tuomaan plastisuutta. Annosjauheet koostuivat kaupallisesta 5 mg:n Marevan-valmisteesta ja täyteaineena käytetystä laktoosista. Molemmista lääkevalmisteista mitattiin liukenemisnopeus ja annosyksiköiden yhdenmukaisuus. Molempien valmisteiden toimivuus nenä-mahaletkussa tutkittiin myös, sillä kalvojen on tärkeää soveltua erilaisille potilasryhmille. Kalvot olivat kovia, mikä aiheutti niiden hitaan liukenemisen. Puolikiinteän aineen valmistus ja tulostuksen toteuttaminen tavoitteiden mukaisesti osoittautui oletettua vaikeammaksi. Kalvoissa mitattiin annosjauheita tasaisempi lääkeainepitoisuus. Molempien lääkevalmisteiden kohdalla huomattiin, että kaikki varfariini ei pääse nenä-mahaletkujen läpi. Tärkein huomio oli, että hyvin yksinkertaisella formulaatiolla on mahdollista tuottaa lupaavia lääkevalmisteita. Tämä tutkimus esittelee syitä, joiden vuoksi 3D-tulostusta on hyvä tutkia mahdollisena ex tempore -valmistuksen menetelmänä.
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(2023)Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a purified, partially depolymerized cellulose, which is obtained by treating α-cellulose with mineral acids. Ever since the first microcrystalline cellulose was commercialized, different grades of microcrystalline cellulose have widely been used in the manufacture of solid dosage forms, such as tablets. MCC obtained from different sources will exhibit different physico-chemical properties, including moisture content, degree of polymerization, crystallinity, and particle morphology. In wet granulation, microcrystalline cellulose can be used as a filler, binder, and disintegrant. Recently, Aalto University has introduced a novel microcrystalline cellulose obtained from renewable raw materials by an integrated process, which has a short retention time, low energy and chemical consumption. However, very few studies have evaluated the use of AaltoCellTM as an excipient in solid dosage forms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the filler properties of three grades of AaltoCellTM to prepare paracetamol tablets with 50% (w/w) drug load and compare AaltoCellTM with a commercial microcrystalline cellulose, Vivapur 101. Due to the poor flowability of paracetamol and the experimental microcrystalline celluloses, it is challenging to direct compress tablets from paracetamol and microcrystalline mixtures. Thus, the powder mixtures were granulated by high-shear wet granulation method to improve the flowability. After the granulation, the formulations were characterized for particle size distribution, morphology and powder flow. Carr’s index Hausner ratio and angle of repose were calculated to evaluate the flowability of the formulations. In addition, an image-based analysis of powder flow was performed. A rotary tablet press equipped with single punches of 9 mm diameter was used to compress tablets. To evaluate the quality of tablets, European Pharmacopoeia tests of friability, disintegration, uniformity of mass, uniformity of content and dissolution were conducted. The AaltoCellTM A and Vivapur 101 formulations had the smallest particle size, whereas the AaltoCellTM B had the largest particle size. According to Carr’s index and Hausner ratio, the flowability of AaltoCellTM powders and Vivapur 101 varied from poor to very, very poor. After the granulation, the flowability of AaltoCellTM B and AaltoCellTM C were classified as good, while AaltoCellTM A and Vivapur 101 formulations had fair flowability. However, the results were conflicting with the flowability index values obtained in the image-based analysis. According to the results, the AaltoCellTM tablets complied with all criteria of European Pharmacopoeia and were comparable with Vivapur 101 tablets. The average tablet weight deviated ± 3.2% from the target weight. The variations in weight and drug content were small, as indicated by low RSD values. The disintegration time of the AaltoCellTM tablets was between 1-8.5 minutes. In addition, the AaltoCellTM tablets had fast dissolution with 78-84% of paracetamol released within 1 minute. Overall, AaltoCellTM is a promising excipient for use as a filler in tablets. In further studies, characterizing the powder properties, such as morphology, surface properties and hygroscopicity, would provide a better understanding of the properties of AaltoCellTM.
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(2022)Indomethacin is in a BCS-classification class two drug, meaning it has poor solubility but good permeability. Because of this solubility is a limiting factor for it reaching bloodcirculation. Amorphous form has better solubility than crystalline form. Most common problems with amorphous form are poor stability and process technical problems. In this study Indomethacin was combined with two different kind of polymers that were prepared by hot-melt extrusion. By hot-melt extrusion we can get more stable product than pure amorphous drug. These polymers were polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVPK179 and polyvinylpyrrolidonevinylacetate (PVPVA). They were prepared with Indomethacin 1:1 mass ratio. The aim was to study these extrudates and their stability, cumulative release and especially permeability. By using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy it was possible to analyze whether the drug was amorphous or crystalline. In the study it was found that by using hot-melt extrusion it was possible to make amorphous combinations of Indomethacin and polymers. Their permeability was between crystalline and amorphous form. PVPK17-Indomethacin combination had better permeability than PVPVA-Indomethacin combination. On the other hand PVPVA-Indomethacin had better cumulative release than PVPK17-Indomethacin combination
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(2024)Indomethacin is a poorly soluble but highly permeable drug, and its biological availability can be improved by enhancing its solubility. In this study, co-crystals and co-amorphous systems of indomethacin and nicotinamide were prepared in a 1:1 molar ratio, which have previously been shown to enhance the solubility of indomethacin. It has also been observed that the co-amorphous indomethacin-nicotinamide system crystallizes into a co-crystal during storage. This study aimed to further investigate the properties, solubility, and stability of these compounds, and tablet formulations were also prepared from the co-crystal and co-amorphous systems. Powdered co-crystals and co-amorphous systems, as well as tablets prepared from them, were stored at 25°C with 60% relative humidity and at 40°C with 75% relative humidity, and their solubilities were studied for 12 weeks. The stability of the samples was also examined using Fourier infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry over the same period, and changes in the physical properties of the tablets were monitored throughout the study period. Additionally, the effect of HPMC on the prevention of indomethacin recrystallization was investigated. Both the co-amorphous and co-crystalline forms were found to enhance the solubility of indomethacin in both powder and tablet formulations in this study. The co-crystal was stable, with no changes observed in its crystal structure or solubility over the 12-week study period. However, handling the co-amorphous material turned out to be difficult due to its low glass transition temperature of 19.68°C, causing the powder to soften at room temperature. During storage, it was shown to crystallize into a co-crystal, but its solubility properties were weaker to those of the actual co-crystal. None of the solubility tests showed evidence of indomethacin recrystallization, so the potential effect of HPMC on this phenomenon could not be determined in the study. Warmer and more humid conditions were found to increase the tensile strength of the tablets, resulting in slower dissolution.
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(2022)Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a relatively rare hepatic condition that can be classified as predictable and unpredictable. However, DILI is a primary reason for drug withdrawals, post-marketing warnings, and restrictions of use. DILI is a problem for the drug users but also for the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies. From the perspective of patients' and clinicians', DILI is the major cause of acute liver injury. At present, a major problem predicting DILI in drug discovery is a poor understanding of its mechanisms as well as the complexity of DILI pathogenicity. The main mechanism behind DILI are alterations in bile acid homeostasis, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. More than 50 % of drugs causing DILI are causing mitochondrial impairment. If the normal function of mitochondria is disturbed, the energy production of the cell decreases, and cell function decline leading eventually to the cell death. In this study prediction of mitochondrial toxicity was studied using cryopreserved primary hepatocytes of humans and rats. The aim of the study was to clarify if there are interspecies differences in the prediction of toxicity but also investigate possible differences in the mechanisms behind hepatotoxicity by using three well-known compounds toxic to mitochondria. To determine these differences, total cellular ATP was measured after 2- and 24- hour exposure time to gain information on overall viability and possible adaptive responses. Mitochondrial energy pathways were studied as a real-time monitoring acute exposure of test compounds. Morphology, location, and possible adaptive response of mitochondria were studied using a fluorescent probe and antibody staining combined with high content imaging (HCI). Overall, primary rat hepatocytes were more sensitive to the test compounds than human hepatocytes. Also, there were differences between human hepatocyte batches that may reflect the metabolic differences between hepatocyte donors. Immunolabeling did not bring any additional values compared to the fluorescent probe staining in the study of morphology of mitochondria. Additionally, it was noticed that treatment with paraformaldehyde significantly changed the hepatocyte mitochondria morphology. Overall, more effort is needed to develop image analysis of mitochondria morphology. Finally, studying mitochondrial morphology has proven to be difficult, and this study did not unfortunately reveal any information about the adaptive responses of mitochondria for drug-induced liver injury.
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(2021)Lääkkeen elinkaaren aikana on useita toimijoita, ja matka lääkkeen valmistuksesta käyttöön Suomessa on kirjallisuuden perusteella pitkä ja monimutkainen. Lisäksi lääkevalmisteita on lukuisia erilaisia. Vaikka lääkepakkausten materiaalit ja materiaalivaatimukset tunnetaan suhteellisen hyvin esimerkiksi lääkkeiden myyntilupien tuomien vaatimusten takia, on kvantitatiivista tietoa eri materiaalivirroista lääkepakkausten elinkaaren aikana vain vähän tietoa. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia kuinka paljon ja millaista pakkausmateriaalia lääkevalmisteen elinkaaren aikana syntyy, ja miten ympäristöasiat on huomioitu lääkepakkausten elinkaaren aikaisissa materiaalivirroissa. Lisäksi pyrittiin löytämään ehdotuksia materiaalivirtojen kehittämiseksi sekä selvittämään, miten kuluttajaa tulisi ohjeistaa lääkepakkausten kierrätyksestä. Tutkimusmenetelmäksi valittiin teemahaastattelu. Toukokuun ja joulukuun välisenä aikana vuonna 2020 aineistoksi muodostui viisi puolistrukturoitua teemahaastattelua ja kaksi kirjallista vastausta. Aineisto analysoitiin aineistolähtöisellä sisällönanalyysillä. Tutkimustulosten perusteella lääkevalmisteiden elinkaaren aikana syntyviä materiaalivirtoja ei tunneta vielä kunnolla. Tutkimuksessa korostui apteekin rooli lääkkeitä jakavana toimijana sekä lääkejätteen kerääjänä. Tukkuliiketoiminnan havaittiin keskittyneen kahdelle suurelle toimijalle Suomessa. Esteinä materiaalivirtojen kehittämiselle nähtiin kankeat myyntilupakäytännöt, jotka tekevät varsinkin pitkään markkinoilla olleiden lääkevalmisteiden pakkausmateriaalimuutokset hankaliksi. Myyntilupaprosessi koettiin kalliiksi, mikä estää esimerkiksi vain sairaala-apteekkeihin tarkoitettujen pakkausten tarjoamisen markkinoille. Muita haasteita olivat esimerkiksi ympäristönäkökulman ja potilasturvallisuuden väliset ristiriidat. Lääkkeiden myyntilupa ei vaadi ohjeistamaan kuluttajaa pakkausmateriaalien kierrätyksessä. Tutkimuksen mukaan lääketeollisuudessa on mietitty, voisiko pakkauksen kierrätyksen mainita pakkausselosteessa ilman myyntilupaprosessin läpikäyntiä. Tulisi kuitenkin tutkia, olisiko merkinnällä vaikutusta lääkepakkausten kierrätykseen. Toinen huomio lääkepakkausten kierrättämisessä on se, ovatko esimerkiksi primääripakkaukset turvallisia kierrätyksen kannalta. Jatkotutkimusta tarvitaan lisää. Tämä Pro gradu on tehty SUDDEN-hankkeen viitekehyksessä, yhteistyössä Suomen ympäristökeskuksen kanssa. SUDDEN-hanke pyrkii löytämään ratkaisuja lääkkeiden elinkaaren aikana syntyvien ympäristöhaittojen vähentämiseksi ja edistämään kestävää lääketeollisuutta.
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(2023)Microcrystalline cellulose is a compactable, versatile, and popular excipient in tableting. Microcrystalline cellulose is produced using acid hydrolysis where most of the amorphous areas are removed and the crystalline part is left. Particle size affects most on the functionality of microcrystalline cellulose and that can be altered by changing the duration of acid hydrolysis or the drying method. The aim of this Master’s thesis was to compare new microcrystalline materials produced using energy efficient methods, to commercial Avicel-powders. The used formulation consisted of microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate and dried colloidal silicon dioxide. Due to the small particle size of AaltoCell™ samples it was not possible to use it for direct compaction, but with wet granulation this was successful. The tablets were tested by the standards of European pharmacopoeia and the tablets from wet granulated Avicel PH-101, AaltoCell™ sample B and C passed all the tests. Probably the problem with the rejected formulations was poor flowability, which caused poor reproducibility in the experiments with direct compressed tablets. The wet granulated Avicel PH-101 produced the best tablets with the used formulation.
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(2022)Lääkeaineiden niukkaliukoisuus on yhä enemmän esiintyvä ongelma lääketeollisuudessa. Erityisesti BCS ryhmän II lääkeaineet ovat potentiaalisia liukoisuusominaisuuksia parantaville menetelmille. Tässä työssä näistä menetelmistä keskitytään nanokiteen, ko-kiteen ja ko-amorfisen systeemin muodostukseen ja lääkeaineena käytetään inodmetasiinia (BCS ryhmä II). Kyseisillä menetelmillä on onnistuttu parantamaan indometasiinin liukoisuusominaisuuksia, mutta vertailevia tutkimuksia ei ole aiemmin tehty. Nanokide valmistettiin märkäjauhamalla käyttäen poloksameeri 188 -stabilisaattoria. Ko-kiteen valmistuksessa käytettiin liuottimen haihdutus -menetelmää ja ko-muodostajana sakariinia. Ko-amorfisten systeemien ko-muodostajina käytettiin l-tryptofaania ja sitruunahappoa ja valmistus toteutettiin kuulamyllyllä jauhamalla. Karakterisointimenetelmillä (DLS, DSC ja XRPD) oli mahdollista todentaa nanokiteillä ja ko-kiteillä halutut ominaisuudet (partikkelikoko ja kiderakenne). Ko-amorfinen systeemi ei työssä käytetyllä menetelmällä saavuttanut amorfista rakennetta kummallakaan ko-muodostajalla. Vaikka jauhe osittain muuttui kellertäväksi (viitaten amorfiseen indometasiiniin) olivat XRPD:n ja DSC:n tulokset kiteiselle aineelle tyypillisiä. Nanokiteellä ja ko-kiteellä saavutettiin puhdasta indometasiinia parempi ominaisliukenemisnopeus sekä liukenemisnopeus jauheesta lapamenetelmällä. Systeemien välisessä vertailussa huomattiin, että nanokiteellä oli parempi liukenemisnopeus molemmissa kokeissa. Ero on selkeämmin nähtävissä lapamenetelmässä: pieni partikkelikoko mahdollistaa suuren suhteellisen pinta-alan liukenemista varten. Systeemien fysikaalista stabiilisuutta tutkittiin yhdeksän kuukauden ajan suljetussa muoviastiassa laboratorio-olosuhteissa (huoneenlämpö ja normaali ilmankosteus). Kummassakaan systeemissä ei ollut nähtävissä kiderakenteen muutoksia. Nanokiteillä oli havaittavissa lievää partikkelikoon kasvua, mikä on selitettävissä ennen koetta tehdyn sekoituksen tehottomuudella
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(2023)Solids most commonly come in two broad forms: crystalline or amorphous. Crystalline solids have a regular, organized long-range structure of atoms and crystals, and are characterized by having a distinct shape, specific volume, and melting point. They can also have multiple polymorphs. On the other hand, amorphous solids do not usually have a regular long-range atomic and crystal structure and their molecules are more easily separated, which makes them more soluble in their surroundings compared to crystalline solids. However, despite this, short-range order can also occur. To improve the solubility of crystalline solids, co-amorphous systems can be created by mixing together two or more chemically different compounds in a way that they don't form a regular crystalline structure, but rather an irregular, amorphous one. Co-amorphous systems can be analyzed qualitatively or quantitatively. Qualitative analysis is often the main focus when studying amorphous matter, as it can be difficult to accurately quantify these materials using techniques based on crystal structures. Additionally, many amorphous systems are made up of complex mixtures of polymers with different chemical and physical properties. This study aimed to determine the most effective method for obtaining quantitative information about the co-amorphization of indomethacin and tryptophan. Three analytical techniques were used for this purpose: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and Raman spectroscopy. The co-amorphous system was created by mixing together α-indomethacin and tryptophan, γ-indomethacin and tryptophan, and amorphous indomethacin and tryptophan. This study showed that DSC, XRPD, and Raman spectroscopy are effective in providing quantitative information about crystallinity and crystal size. These techniques were able to accurately detect and characterize discrete residual crystals, and were able to measure and quantify the amount of these substances. Even though these methods may not be able to detect nanoscale structures with precision, they still provided valuable information about the crystalline and amorphous nature of the samples studied. Additionally, the fact that similar quantitative results were obtained using different analysis methods further supports the reliability of these techniques. Of all the techniques discussed, Raman spectroscopy was able to identify even small residual crystals, resulting in the highest calculated crystallinity percentage.
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(2023)Poorly water soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients cause problems for the drug development. Solid state modification offers one approach to overcome the issue. In this study, co-amorphous systems and co-crystals were prepared with indomethacin at molar ratio of 1:1 using nicotinamide as a co-former. Co-amorphous systems were prepared by two different preparation methods: melting the physical mixture and then quench cooling it with liquid nitrogen and dry milling with a ball mill. Co-crystals were prepared by liquid-assisted ball milling. After that, the properties, dissolution, and physical stability of the formed formulations were investigated and compared. The characterisation methods were differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, polarised light microscope and scanning electron microscope. In addition, the solubility and physical stability of the formulations were investigated. Co-amorphous systems were successfully prepared by quench cooling the melt and co-crystals by liquid-assisted ball milling. Dry milling did not induce the formation of co-amorphous systems. In the intrinsic dissolution test, both the co-amorphous system and co-crystal enhanced the dissolution of crystalline indomethacin. When examining the dissolution rate with the paddle apparatus, it was observed that the co-crystal had the highest dissolution rate among both powder and tablet samples. The co-amorphous powder sample floated on the surface of dissolution medium which impeded the dissolution of indomethacin. However, co-amorphous tablet sample showed a higher dissolution rate than crystalline indomethacin. Stability testing (25 °C, 18 %RH) showed that the co-amorphous system recrystallised into a co-crystal after two weeks of storage, while the co-crystal was found to stay stable the whole study period.
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(2021)Nowadays, targetability studies usually require sample modifications and quite often, examination requires the use of directed light in harmful wavelengths. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique does not need either of those actions. With SPR technology, the targetability of biomolecules can be studied in real-time and without any additional labels. The SPR response is received by measuring the change in surface plasmon resonance conditions due to refractive index changes caused by material interactions in the vicinity of a metal sensor surface. In the present study, the targetability of neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) was studied by SPR. FcRn-mediated targetability studies were performed against protein A and human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) immobilized on SPR sensors. The aim of the study was to confirm the FcRn targetability with bare Fc-fragment and Fc-fragment modified nanoparticles (NPs) designed for oral drug delivery. The NPs consisted of a core porous silicon (PSi) particle, entrapped into a lignin capsule, and finally functionalized with the FcRn-targeting ligand. Results confirmed the binding efficacy of bare Fc-fragment with protein A at pH 6.5, which was the critical pH value for preserving the lignin capsule around the PSi NPs. The cell-based SPR response was significantly higher for FcRn-targeted NPs when compared with non-functionalized NPs. According to these results, FcRn-mediated transcytosis emerges with great potential for oral drug delivery via Fc-functionalized NPs.
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(2023)For pediatric patients, it is often necessary to resort to off-label use of available commercial products. This may require manual modification of the preparations, which may result in reduced dose accuracy. In the past, there have been discussions about the potential of 3D printing technologies for on-demand manufacturing of medicines in hospitals. Printing technologies can be used to tailor medicines to the individual needs of patients. This could be a possible solution to the lack of commercial products for pediatric patients, for example. Semi-solid extrusion is a printing technique that could potentially be used in the future in hospitals. This study aims to design the simplest possible excipient composition for a printing material for semi-solid extruded preparations for pediatric patients. The finished products will be examined to determine the type of products achieved with this printing method and excipient composition. In addition, the suitability of semi-solid extrusion in a hospital environment will be observed and evaluated. Printing was performed with a pneumatic bioprinter. The desired formulations could not be prepared with a printing material containing only a gel former (poloxamer 407) and a solvent (water). Therefore, a filler (microcrystalline cellulose) was added to the printing material to improve the mechanical strength of the preparations. The model drug used in the study was warfarin sodium and the target strengths of the preparations were 0.1 mg, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg. The preparations were dried at room temperature for 22-23 hours. The tablets produced in the study were small (diameter less than 7 mm, height less than 2 mm) grid-structured preparations. The method was successful in producing tablets of uniform mass. For all strengths, the tablets passed the European Pharmacopoeia test for uniformity of content of single-dose preparations. Only the 0.5 mg strengths passed the test of uniformity of dosage units. The excipient composition should still be optimized to improve the mechanical strength of the products. The overall preparation time of the formulations should be reduced, for example by shortening the drying time, to make semi-solid extrusion suitable for extemporaneus preparations in hospitals.
Now showing items 1-13 of 13