Begell House Inc.
Critical Reviews™ in Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems
CRT
0743-4863
29
4
2012
Transcending the Skin Barrier to Deliver Peptides and Proteins Using Active Technologies
265-298
10.1615/CritRevTherDrugCarrierSyst.v29.i4.10
Neha
Singh
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
Haripriya
Kalluri
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
Anushree
Herwadkar
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
Advait
Badkar
Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical R&D, Pfizer Inc., 700 Chesterfield Parkway (W), Chesterfield, Missouri 63017, USA
Ajay K.
Banga
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA, USA
iontophoresis
electroporation
sonophoresis
microneedles
protein delivery
Peptides and proteins have been investigated as promising therapeutic agents over the past decade. These macromolecules are conventionally administered by the parenteral route because oral delivery is associated with degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Transdermal delivery presents a promising alternative route of drug delivery, avoiding pain associated with parenteral administration and degradation issues associated with oral delivery. However, the barrier properties of skin limit delivery to only small, moderately lipophilic molecules. Hence, hydrophilic macromolecules like peptides and proteins cannot passively permeate across skin. Active physical enhancement approaches such as iontophoresis electroporation, microneedles treatment, and sonophoresis have been developed to assist transdermal delivery of peptides and proteins. This review describes active physical transdermal enhancement approaches for transdermal delivery of peptides and proteins. The mechanisms associated with each technique and important parameters governing transdermal delivery of peptides and proteins are discussed in detail. Combinations of enhancement techniques for synergistic enhancement in protein and peptide delivery are also discussed.
Colloidal Carriers: A Rising Tool for Therapy of Tuberculosis
299-353
10.1615/CritRevTherDrugCarrierSyst.v29.i4.20
Swati
Gupta
Nanomedicine Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutics, I.S.F. College of Pharmacy, Moga 142 001 (PB), India; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of South Florida Health, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
Pankaj
Kumar
Nanomedicine Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutics, I.S.F. College of Pharmacy, Moga 142 001 (PB), India
Manish K.
Gupta
Laboratory for Drug Design and Synthesis, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, I.S.F. College of Pharmacy, Moga 142 001 (PB), India
Suresh P.
Vyas
Drug Delivery Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. H. S. Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, M. P., India, 470003
nanoparticles
liposomes
microparticles
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is the second most deadly infectious disease, caused mainly by M. tuberculosis in humans, usually affecting the lungs; it also attacks other parts of the body. The design of novel antibiotics attempts to overcome drug resistance, to shorten the treatment course, and to reduce drug interactions with antiretroviral therapies. Overcoming technological drawbacks of these therapeutic agents as well as improving the effectiveness of the drugs by targeting the infection reservoirs remain the central aims of pharmaceutical technology. In this framework, colloidal carriers appear as one of the most promising approaches for the development of more effective and compliant medicines by releasing the drugs slowly over prolonged time periods and reducing the current costs of treatment. Due to unique physicochemical properties (ultrasmall and controllable size, large surface area to mass ratio, high reactivity, and functionalizable structure) of colloidal carriers, they can facilitate the administration of antitubercular drugs, thereby overcoming some of the limitations in traditional antitubercular therapeutics. In recent years, encapsulation of antitubercular drugs in colloidal carrier systems is emerging as an innovative and promising alternative with enhanced therapeutic effectiveness and reduced undesirable side effects of the encapsulated drugs. The present review aims to describe the current conventional as well as combination drug therapy with special consideration towards the emerging role of novel colloidal carriers designed and targeted against TB. Colloidal carriers employing drugs alone or in combination targeted towards the site of action could lead to reduction in duration of conventional treatment, higher patient fulfillment, and prevention of antitubercular drug resistance or toxicity.