Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 23, Issue 20, 2017

Background: The study of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for drug delivery has recently seen a surge of interest even though the first studies were conducted as early as in the seventies. Despite this, there are still gaps in the knowledge of the field, implicating the complexities in designing the ideal MNP for drug delivery. The large surface area of MNPs and the ability to manipulate with an externally applied magnetic field rende Read More

Drug delivery systems are effective and attractive methods which allow therapeutic substances to be introduced into the body more effectively and safe by having tunable delivery rate and release target site. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have a myriad of favorable physical, chemical, optical, thermal and biological properties that make them highly suitable candidates as non-toxic carriers for drug and gene delivery. The surfac Read More

Due to efficacious characteristics of calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CPNs), they have numerously been employed in nanomedicine, particularly as carrier for therapeutic and diagnostic agents, and also in tissue engineering. Although calcium phosphate minerals are noted for their cytocompatibility, there are outstanding findings from various studies that question whether they are still compatible with cells in nanosc Read More

Background: Therapeutic efficacy of dreadful diseases like cancer, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can be enhanced by delivering molecules which regulate function at gene level rather than at receptor level. Silencing RNA is one such approach recently used to silence target gene expressed diseases; and thereby reduce target protein levels. Many of the non-viral vectors are proved to act as carriers for silencing R Read More

The artificial nanostructures such as nanoparticles and natural nanostructures such as secreted nanosized extracellular vesicles known as exosomes are promising tools for the realization of personalized medicine. Radionanomedicine is a recently coined term for the simultaneous application of either radiation technology or nuclear medicine with nanomedicine. In addition, radioexosomics is our suggested term for Read More

Animal models have been the main resources for drug discovery and prediction of drugs’ pharmacokinetic responses in the body. However, noticeable drawbacks associated with animal models include high cost, low reproducibility, low physiological similarity to humans, and ethical problems. Engineered tissue models have recently emerged as an alternative or substitute for animal models in drug discovery and testi Read More

Background: Non-infectious uveitis is a sight-threatening inflammatory disease that often necessitates prolonged use of high-dose corticosteroids, resulting in significant systemic side effects. There is a need for efficacious steroid-sparing immunomodulatory therapy for these patients, and the mTOR inhibitors (sirolimus and everolimus) may be contenders for this role. Methods: A comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical Read More

The antioxidant properties of caffeic and ferulic acids in biological systems have been extensively demonstrated. As antioxidants, these compounds prevent the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause cell lesions that are associated with the development of several diseases, including cancer. Recent findings suggest that the chemoprotective action of these phenolic acids occurs through the following mechani Read More

Background: Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of dialysis patients are major problems in this group of patients. Methods: The purpose of this study was also to evaluate whether any of the studied markers are better than troponin in early detection of the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias and prolongation of QT interval. This study included 45 patients undergoing hemodialysis. ECG Holter and echocardiographi Read More

Background: In this study, we developed a drug of IFN-α combined with pPB-SSLs, which specifically target at platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β). Aim: The aim of this study is to improve the limitations of IFN-α including insufficient drug concentration for the target cells and side-effects causing serious concerns in treatment of hepatic fibrosis. Methods: We constructed the targeted stable liposomes (SSLs Read More