Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of mucoadhesive sodium alginate and chitosan nanoparticles containing mesalazine in a 3D model of multilayer intestinal inflammation

• Grant number: 23/13044-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 25, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Marlus Chorilli
• Grantee: Amanda Letícia Polli Silvestre
• Supervisor: Bruno Filipe Carmelino Cardoso Sarmento
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/02871-5 - Evaluation of the co-encapsulation of curcumin and polymeric nanoparticles containing mesalazine in retrograded starch microparticles intended for colon-specific release, BP.DR

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) characterized by chronic inflammation without cure in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), mainly in the colon. Treatment focuses on controlling the disease, preventing recurrence, and improving the patient's quality of life. Mesalazine (MLZ) is the drug of first choice for the treatment of IBD but has limitations, such as low solubility and inactivation after absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Several strategies have been considered to vector MLZ in the colon, but IBD promotes physiological changes, leading to a decrease in pH values and a delay in transit time. Considering these aspects, designing mucoadhesive nanoparticles (NPs) of sodium alginate and chitosan containing MLZ is extremely relevant to overcome such limitations, due to their reduced size and use of biopolymers such as chitosan and sodium alginate, which offer high mucoadhesive capacity, promoting a localized therapy with fewer systemic side effects. In addition to the physicochemical characterization, knowledge, and evaluation of the biological performance of the developed NPs is of fundamental importance. Multicellular 3D systems, by mimicking the main genetic, physical, and mechanical information of the disease microenvironment, constitute a promising tool with reliable and reproducible results for anti-inflammatory evaluation by inflammation mediators. The present project aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of mucoadhesive sodium alginate and chitosan nanoparticles containing MLZ in a 3D model of multilayer intestinal inflammation. (AU)