Polymeric and Lipid Nanoparticles: Which Applications in Pediatrics?

Abstract

This review aims to provide the state of the art on polymeric and lipid nanoparticles, used or suggested to approach pediatric diseases’ problems and needs, and to inspire new researches in this field. Several drugs are currently not available in formulations suitable for pediatric patients. The United States Pediatric Formulation Initiative suggested applying new technologies to pediatric drug formulations, for instance, nanotechnology. The literature analysis showed that polymeric and lipid nanoparticles have been widely studied to treat pediatric diseases, and albumin nanoparticles and liposomes are already used in clinical practice. Nevertheless, these studies are focused almost exclusively on pediatric cancer treatment. Although nanomedicine may solve many needs of pediatric diseases and medicines, the unavailability of data on pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of both drugs and nanoparticles in pediatric patients limits the development of new pediatric medicines based on nanoparticles. Therefore, nanomedicine applied in pediatrics remains a significant challenge in the near future.

Anticancer Nanotherapeutics in Clinical Trials: The Work behind Clinical Translation of Nanomedicine

“…MEPACT is the liposomal formulation of the immune modulator mifamurtide and it is approved to treat high-grade non-metastatic osteosarcoma in young patients [ 209 ]. The liposomes are multilamellar and their size is claimed to be below 100 nm from different sources [ 172 , 210 ], even though other reports claim that this technology is about 3 um in size [ 211 ]. Additionally, known as liposomal muramyl tripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine, the system encapsulate a synthetic biologics that can target the macrophages of liver and spleen that in turns can activate other leukocytes against cancer cells [ 211 ], decreasing the importance of the size.…”

Nanoparticles for the treatment of glaucoma-associated neuroinflammation

“…NPs are ultrafine solid structures that vary in morphology and have at least one spatial dimension in the range between 1 and 100 nm, and sometimes up to 500 nm, for larger particles. In the field of drug delivery, NPs are formulated to enhance the penetration and drug targeting of the active compound, while promoting a sustained release [ 166 ]. Due to their miniscule nature, NPs can often easily infiltrate the anatomical barriers in the CNS [ 164 ], such as the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, and thus directly provide a maximal drug bioavailability to the target cells [ 157 ].…”

“…To overcome this limitation, NPs with mucoadhesive properties (i.e., chitosan and hyaluronic acid) were developed [ 172 ]. Of note, both polymeric- and lipid-based NPs have successfully delivered drugs for a number of therapeutic purposes, while protecting the encapsulated drugs from enzymatic degradation and controlling their release [ 166 ]. Figure 4 shows the benefits of drug loaded NPs administered through the corneal and blood-retinal barriers.…”

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“…In addition, encapsulation efficiency (%EE) and release rate can be tailored by adjusting the proportion between PLA and PGA, polymer molecular weight (M w ), concentration and terminal group. There are several methods for synthesis of PLGA nanoparticles including nanoprecipitation, emulsification/solvent evaporation, emulsification/solvent diffusion and emulsification/salting-out [7][8][9].…”