Research on wound-healing agents is a growing area in modern biomedical sciences, and oxidative stress plays a significant role in the challenges of chronic wound healing. These challenges include dry dressings that lack functionality and cause increased pain by adhering to wounds. Hydrogels are widely utilised for wound healing because they mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) and help maintain a moist environment. In silico docking studies revealed that lutein forms strong and stable interactions with proteins involved in ECM degradation, inflammation and oxidative stress. The optimised hydrogel formulations demonstrated excellent physicochemical stability and improved topical delivery of the drug. In vitro and ex vivo studies confirmed superior skin permeation and sustained release of lutein from the fermented hydrogel compared with controls. In vivo experiments using F2 formulation (0.5% lutein) on diabetic rat models demonstrated rapid wound contraction, achieving 92.1% closure by day 9 and complete healing by day 11, with minimal scarring and enhanced tissue regeneration. Histopathological analysis supported these results, revealing dense granulation tissue, minimal inflammatory infiltration and notable dermal remodelling in the treatment group. These findings suggest that lutein-loaded hydrogels are promising biotherapeutic options for the effective management of diabetic wounds.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease, which affects the quality of life of patients. Cyclosporine (Cys-A) & Vitamin D (Vit D3) are crucial drugs used in the treatment of the disease. They are mainly administered via oral dosage forms for the treatment of psoriasis. However, their conventional dosage forms suffer from low oral bioavailability, along with systemic adverse effects. Developing the topical dosage forms of these drugs can be advantageous to overcome the problems associated with conventional therapy. Hence, ethosomes (ETH) were developed for the simultaneous administration of both the drugs. The particle size of the developed ethosomes was found to be 120.8 ± 5.6 nm, zeta potential value was found to be −24.7 ± 1.5 and entrapment efficiency was found to be 74.8 ± 1.52% & 80 ± 1.8% respectively, for Cys-A and Vit D3. In vitro drug release studies exhibited drug release of about 74% and 78% for Cys-A & Vit D3, respectively. Skin permeation studies demonstrated significantly higher drug permeation of ETH gel for Cys-A & Vit-D3 (71.6% and 72.2% respectively) than the conventional gel formulation (52.9% and 54.8% respectively). A cytotoxicity study conducted on the HaCaT cell line showed no cytotoxicity with ≥ 90% of cell viability. The therapeutic efficacy of the formulation tested on the in-vivo antipsoriatic rat model demonstrated comparable efficacy to that of the marketed formulation and the signs of inflammation were reverted within 14 days.

Hyperglycaemia contributes to vascular dysfunction in coronary artery disease (CAD) by causing damage to endothelial cells and smooth muscle in the blood vessels. Carvedilol (CRD), a non-selective β- and α1-blocker, is approved for treating diabetes-associated CAD. However, CRD’s short half-life and poor solubility limit its oral bioavailability and effectiveness. This study aimed to develop a nasal formulation of in-situ pH-sensitive CRD-loaded novasomes (ISCLN) to enhance CRD’s sustainability, bioavailability, and efficacy as a therapy for diabetes-associated CAD. The Box–Behnken design was employed to determine the optimised formulation of CRD-loaded novasomes. This formulation was subsequently combined with chitosan and glyceryl monooleate to create ISCLN. The ISCLN was then evaluated in vivo using a rat model of experimental diabetes and CAD. Compared to free CRD, ISCLN significantly improved sustainability, bioavailability, targeting, and permeability of CRD. Relative to the positive control group, the ISCLN group exhibited decreased levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB. Additionally, this group showed increased levels of high-density lipoprotein. Histopathological and toxicity studies confirmed the efficacy and safety of the ISCLN. These findings suggest that a nasal ISCLN formulation may serve as a potential therapy for diabetes-associated CAD.

The nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited significant pharmacological potential due to their inherent physicochemical and biological characteristics in biomedical and tissue engineering applications. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, genetically modulated disorder of the inflamed bone joints, resulting in discomfort and slow degeneration of the synovial membrane and cartilage. The conventional therapeutics for RA exhibited several limitations, predominantly inadequate pharmacokinetic properties and site-specific delivery. In this context, nanoparticles can enhance targeted drug delivery through the synovial membrane, regulate immune responses, provide real-time disease monitoring, and improve bioavailability. In addition, several therapeutics-loaded nanoparticles also promoted chondrocyte proliferation and matrix synthesis, which may support cartilage regeneration. Thus, the primary objective of this comprehensive review was to assess the various nanoparticle-based treatment approaches for RA management. The article initially delves into the primary molecular mechanism and genetic factors in RA progression, comprehends the recommended treatment protocol to justify the need for nanoparticles in RA treatment. This review discusses a comprehensive explication of advancement in nanoparticle treatment strategies and safety assessments. This article is a unique composition of different NPs effectiveness, toxicity assessment, focusing on the genetic modulation in RA management along with toxicity assessment and clinical perspectives.

This study investigates the topical delivery of Fisetin (FIS) to counteract UVB-induced skin photoaging. Due to FIS’s poor solubility and high lipophilicity, it was encapsulated in D-limonene-modified phospholipid carriers, limosomes (LIMOs), co-formulated with Ascorbyl Palmitate (AP) and Hyaluronan (HYA) to improve FIS’s solubility, skin penetration, and photoprotective efficacy. FIS-AP-HYA-LIMOs exhibited small size (81.50 ± 0.98 nm), high entrapment (98.93 ± 0.13%), and sustained release over 24 h. FT-IR and DSC confirmed the successful formation of FIS-AP-HYA-LIMOs. The ex vivo permeation study showed high flux (10.54 ± 0.40 µg.cm−2.h−1), reflecting evident skin penetration. Confocal microscopy proved the ability of FIS-AP-HYA-LIMOs to deposit FIS to a skin depth of 128 µm with a strong FIS fluorescence in skin layers. FIS-AP-HYA-LIMOs showed potent in vitro antioxidant activity, high biocompatibility, and remained stable for 6 months. In vivo studies revealed the downregulation of MMP9, TNFα, and NF-κB, accompanied by increased SOD and CAT levels, indicating superior anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects compared to FIS suspension. FIS-AP-HYA-LIMOs decreased JNK expression, preserved the integrity of skin layers, and reduced collagen degradation. This is the first report on FIS-loaded limosomes, modified with AP and HYA to synergistically prevent UVB-induced photoaging.

Lung cancer is the malignant tumour with the highest growing morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is highly malignant and may lead to distant metastasis at an early stage. The standard treatment for lung adenocarcinoma involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, which is frequently associated with severe side effects. In response to this challenge, a safe and effective drug carrier has been designed to facilitate drug delivery. The surface of this polymer micelle is modified with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive targeting ligands and cell-penetrating ligands. Pemetrexed (PMX) and baicalein (BAI) are encapsulated within the micelle. The micelles exploit the high expression of ROS in the tumour microenvironment and cell-penetrating peptides to deliver drugs safely and efficiently into tumour cells, thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of these cells and ultimately suppressing tumour growth. This carrier holds significant potential for guiding clinical treatment strategies for lung adenocarcinoma.

In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), dysfunctional CD8+ T-cells and an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) are major barriers to effective immunotherapy, yet the molecular regulators coordinating T cell exhaustion and macrophage polarisation remain undefined. To address this, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing, TCGA transcriptome and methylation data, co-culture assays, chromatin profiling, functional assays, and xenograft models to investigate the role of DNAJA1 in immune regulation and tumour progression. Our results demonstrated that DNAJA1 was upregulated in exhausted CD8+ T-cells in lung cancer tissues and correlated positively with exhaustion markers including PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3. Notably, exhausted CD8+ T-cells exhibited DNAJA1 promoter hypomethylation and enrichment of activating histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, while inhibiting the activation of H3K4me3 and H3K27ac reduced DNAJA1 expression. Additionally, DNAJA1 overexpression upregulated M2-associated genes (CD206 and IL-10), while its knockdown enhanced the expression of M1-associated genes (CD86 and IL-12). Furthermore, DNAJA1 promoted tumour cell proliferation, and its expression level showed a moderate positive correlation with PD-L1. Collectively, these findings establish DNAJA1 as an epigenetically activated regulator that drives CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and protumor macrophage polarisation, highlighting its dual role as a functional immunomodulator and potential biomarker for stratifying LUAD patients with immune-dysregulated TME.

Green and sustainable technologies have emerged in recent years as a result of increased public awareness of the damaging effects that chemicals have on the environment. To replace ionic liquids (ILs) and traditional organic solvents, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been created as environmentally friendly solvents in various fields. In recent years researchers have looked at creating deep eutectic supramolecular polymers (DESPs) by combining DESs with macrocyclic host molecules, such as cyclodextrins (CDs), cucurbiturils and crown ethers. The Supramolecular Deep Eutectic Solvents (SUPRADES), Cyclodextrin-based DES (CycloDES) and Low Melting Mixtures (LMMs) are examples of DESPs. This article provides a comprehensive review on SUPRADES and its applications in various areas like drug solubility enhancement, extraction of different compounds, chiral separation, absorption of volatile organic compounds etc. Compared to traditional DESs and ILs, SUPRADES offer advantages like improved selectivity, tuneability, and biocompatibility. Notably, the review highlights the key differences between traditional DESs/ILs and new SUPRADES, including their increased molecular recognition power and designed host–guest interactions. Through the integration of dispersed results, this review sheds fresh light on how SUPRADES can surpass deficiencies of previous systems and proposes future applications for their practical utilisation.

Natural phytoconstituents such as betanin and curcumin have attracted interest for their significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Their therapeutic efficacy is notably constrained by inadequate bioavailability and reduced skin permeability. The current study developed an ethosome-based gel system for the delivery of betanin and curcumin, with the objective of improving transdermal penetration and providing sustained anti-inflammatory effects. Ethosomes were formulated by cold method and optimised for physicochemical characteristics including particle size, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency. The optimised formulation exhibited a mean particle size of 202.8 nm, a zeta potential of −56.4 mV and high entrapment efficiencies of 80% for betanin and 85% for curcumin. The characterisation using SEM and FT-IR confirmed the successful encapsulation and structural integrity of the ethosomes. The ethosomal gel demonstrated an optimal pH of 6.5, pseudoplastic viscosity and superior spreadability, making it appropriate for topical use. In vitro diffusion studies demonstrated a sustained release profile lasting 8 h. Skin irritation tests confirmed its biocompatibility. The in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy was assessed in rats by utilising carrageenan model of inflammation, results showed that ethosomal gel significantly attenuated inflammation in animals. These findings indicate that the ethosome preparation represents a promising approach for enhancing anti-inflammatory efficacy.

This study sought to create and characterize a novel antibiotic-loaded keratin-based film bandage for enhanced wound healing. Using the solvent casting method, keratin from chicken feathers was combined with gelatin (KG) in varying ratios to form films. Chitosan microspheres (Mc) were incorporated to achieve sustained release of bacitracin zinc (BZ). The microspheres were evaluated for particle size distribution, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro drug release kinetics. The optimized film showed a controlled release profile with nearly 76% cumulative drug release over time. Embedding antibiotic-loaded microspheres within the keratin–gelatin matrix enabled prolonged delivery at the wound site, preventing infection and accelerating healing. In vivo excision wound studies demonstrated that the BZ-Mc-KG film achieved complete wound closure by day 20, significantly outperforming the disease control (p < .05). Comparative results indicated that microsphere-loaded gelatin films achieved 90% closure (p < .05), while free drug-loaded keratin–gelatin films reached 98% closure (p < .05). Slower healing was observed with drug-free keratin–gelatin films and standard mupirocin ointment (2.0% w/w). These findings highlight the synergistic potential of chicken feather keratin with BZ, supporting its application as a sustainable biomaterial for advanced wound dressings and effective therapeutic wound care strategies.