Patients with psoriasis are dissatisfied with the standard pharmacological treatments, whether systemic or topical, with many of them showing interest in complementary and alternative medicine. Curcumin (Cur), a natural polyphenol derived from turmeric, has recently gained attention for skin-related diseases because of its proven anti-inflammatory action. However, topical treatment with Cur would be inadequate because of its hydrophobicity, instability, and low bioavailability. In addition, hyperkeratosis and lack of moisture in psoriatic skin result in low penetration that would prevent actives from permeating the stratum corneum. In this work, a polymer-based formulation of Cur for the topical treatment of psoriasis is reported. To improve the physicochemical stability of Cur, it was first encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles. The Cur-loaded nanoparticles were incorporated in a hydrophilic, biocompatible collagen-based patch. The nanoparticle-containing porous collagen patches were then chemically cross-linked. Morphology, chemical interactions, swelling ratio, enzymatic hydrolysis, and Cur release from the patches were evaluated. All patches showed excellent swelling ratio, up to ~1500%, and after cross-linking, the pore size decreased, and their hydrolysis rates decelerated. The in vitro release of Cur was sustained with an initial burst release, reaching 55% after 24 h. Cur within the scaffolds imparted a proliferation inhibitory effect on psoriatic human keratinocytes in vitro.

The plasticizing effect of three low molecular weight oligomers of aliphatic poly(alkylene succinate) polyesters, namely poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), and poly(propylene succinate) (PPSu), on partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) used in melt-based pharmaceutical applications, was evaluated for the first time. Initially, the three aliphatic polyesters were prepared by the melt polycondensation process and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), 1H NMR, intrinsic viscosity, and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Subsequently, their effect on the thermophysical and physicochemical properties of PVA was thoroughly evaluated. According to the obtained results, PVA was completely miscible with all three polyesters, while PESu induced PVA’s thermal degradation, with the phenomenon starting from ~220 °C, in contrast to PBSu and PPSu, where a thermal profile similar to PVA was observed. Furthermore, molecular interactions between PVA and the prepared poly(alkylene succinate) polyesters were revealed by DSC, ATR-FTIR, and molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, melt flow index (MFI) measurements showed that, in contrast to PBSu, the use of PESu or PPSu significantly improved PVA’s melt flow properties. Hence, according to findings of the present work, only the use of low molecular weight PPSu is suitable in order to reduce processing temperature of PVA and improve its melt flow properties (plasticizing ability) without affecting its thermal decomposition.

Currently, there is a lack of models representing the skin dermal heterogeneity for relevant research and skin engineering applications. This is the first study reporting production of dermal equivalents reproducing features of papillary and reticular dermal compartments. Inspired from our current knowledge on the architecture and composition differences between the papillary and reticular dermis, we evaluated different collagen‐based porous materials to serve as scaffolds for the three‐dimensional expansion of freshly isolated papillary and/or reticular fibroblasts. The scaffolds, composed of either collagen I or collagen I and III mixtures, were prepared by lyophilization. Pore size and hydrolytic stability were controlled by crosslinking with 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) or EDC/NHS with covalently bound heparin. The evaluation of the resultant “papillary” and “reticular” dermal equivalents was based on the analysis of characteristic features of each dermal compartment, such as cell density and deposition of newly synthetized extracellular matrix components in histological sections. Crosslinking supported cell growth during dermal tissue formation independent on the fibroblast subpopulation. The presence of collagen III seemed to have some positive but non‐specific effect only on the maintenance of the mechanical strength of the scaffolds during dermal formation. Histological analyses demonstrated a significant and specific effect of heparin on generating dermal equivalents reproducing the respective higher papillary than reticular cell densities and supporting distinct extracellular matrix components deposition (three to five times more carbohydrate material deposited by papillary fibroblasts in all scaffolds containing heparin, while higher collagen production was observed only in the presence of heparin).

Although significant actions have been taken towards the utilization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the preparation of drug amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) using fusion-based techniques (such as melt-quench cooling and hot-melt extrusion), several drawbacks regarding its rather high melting temperature and its thermal degradation profile make the use of the polymer extremely challenging. This is especially important when the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) has a lower melting temperature (than PVA) or when it is thermally labile. In this vein, a previous study showed that newly synthesized polyester-based plasticizers may improve the processability and the thermal properties of PVA. However, the effects of such polyester-based plasticizers on the drug’s physicochemical and pharmaco-technical properties are yet unknown. Hence, the aim of the present study is to extend our previous findings and evaluate the use of poly(propylene succinate) (PPSu, i.e., the most promising plasticizer in regard to PVA) in the preparation of drug-loaded PVA-based ASDs. Dronedarone (DRN), a poorly water-soluble API, was selected as a model drug, and drug ASDs (using either neat PVA or PVA-PPSu) were prepared using the melt-mixing/quench cooling approach at low melting temperatures (i.e., 170 °C). DSC and pXRD analysis showed that a portion of the API remained crystalline in the ASDs prepared only with the use of neat PVA, while the samples having PPSu as a plasticizer were completely amorphous. Further evaluation with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy revealed the formation of significant intermolecular interactions between the API and the PVA-PPSu matrix, which could explain the system’s physical stability during storage. Finally, dissolution studies, conducted under nonsink conditions, revealed that the use of PVA-PPSu is able to maintain DRN’s sustained supersaturation for up to 8 h.