Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco

Descrizione del progetto

Partners:

Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Italy  (aggiornare link)

Sponsors:
University of Turin
Compagnia di San Paolo 

Description

The present multidisciplinary project is focused on the development of innovative stimuli responsive organic/inorganic materials with potential application and thus large impact in areas ranging from microchip analyses to innovative medicine. Regard to the latter, mesoporous silica materials have the essential requisites to be employed as matrices for drugs: i) biocompatibility; ii) ordered pore network; iii) high surface area and pore volume; iv) silanol groups (-SiOH) containing surface that can be functionalized by different organic groups to allow better control on drug loading and site-specific release. Moreover, mesopores can be opened and closed as a function of external stimuli, e.g. temperature, irradiation, pH, magnetic/electric field.

In the last few years, the research team has acquired experience in the formulation and characterization of liquid, semisolid and solid colloidal systems (i.e. simple and multiple emulsions, microemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles) for dermatological and cosmetic purposes.
In this context, the employment of aforementioned novel silica materials as drug delivery systems for topical active molecules (e.g. antioxidants, vitamins, photosensitizers, sunscreens, etc.) can represent a strategy to optimize the loading, stability and effectiveness of the selected compounds.
Therefore, the properties of the host-guest complexes are estimated in terms of stability over time, release kinetics, skin uptake and efficacy.                                                                   

Several techniques are employed, such as:

- physico-chemical characterization of colloidal systems (dynamic light scattering, optical microscopy, DSC);
- rheological measurements;- antioxidant (antiradical and metal-chelating) test;
- irradiation by sunlight simulators;
- in vitro diffusion and skin permeation studies;
- non-invasive determination of physiological skin parameters.                              

Financial support:

Progetto d'Ateneo 2011-B (ORTO114XNH): Development of oxidic and polymeric materials for stimuli responsive applications

The research team is composed by several experts with distinct and complementary scientific competences.

Staff of Department of Chemistry: E. Balantseva, G. Berlier, E.D. Bottinelli, S.M. Casassa, P. Iliade, G. Magnacca, I. Miletto, V. Brunella, D.M. Scalarone, P. Calza, D. Fabbri, M. Lazzari (University of Santiago de Compostela)                                                                                  

Keywords:
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, Stimuli responsive, Host-guest complexes, Topical application, Colloidal delivery systems, Dermocosmetic formulations, Antioxidants, Sunscreens, Photosensitizers, Photostability

Links:
SURFIN - Research group  (Vedi allegato .pdf in Documentazione)