Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco

Descrizione del progetto

Members:

Dott.ssa BRUNELLA Valentina (Assistant Professor), Dipartimento di Chimica

Prof. RE Giovanni (Full Professor), Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie 

Prof. FEA Antonio Maria (Aggregate Professor), Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche 

Partners:

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, http://www.izsto.it/

 

Description:

The aim of project is the development of nanocomposite hydrogels able to carry Bevacizumab (BVZ) or Cefuroxime (CEF) for intravitreal administration. Several thermoresponsive polymers will be tested, starting from commercial poloxamers, well known as Pluronics®, which are classified as safe ingredients and accepted by the USP as injectable administration. Several colloidal nano-systems will be prepared with biocompatible GRAS ingredients and will be dispersed in thermoreversible in situ-forming gels to obtain sustained-release drug nanocomposite hydrogels. SLN of trilaurin as lipid matrix and chitosan-coated SLN, with morphological and physico-

chemical features suitable to intravitreal administration, will be prepared using the innovative method called "cold dilution of microemulsion“. In vitro drug release from the obtained nanocomposite systems will be studied by using methods described in literature, in order to confirm the effective drug entrapment and mimic the release from the studied systems to the vitreous humor. The biocompatibility of the nanocomposite hydrogels will be evaluated by monitoring the viability of human eye cells, commercially available, by sulforhodamine B colorimetric proliferation assay (SRB assay).

The anti-VEGF activity of BVZ-loaded nanocomposite hydrogels will be evaluated on VEGF-induced proliferation and migration of endothelial cells (EC). Additionally, the influence of BVZ on intracellular VEGF will be analyzed with Western blot. The antimicrobial activity of CEF-loaded nanocomposite hydrogels will be tested on surgery conjunctival smears in agreement with the Kirby Bauer method described in Clinical and Laboratory

Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.