Stability studies of delivery systems based on the apoferritin/chitosan complex

• Grant number: 24/00575-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fabiana Testa Moura de Carvalho Vicentini
• Grantee: Isabela Pimenta Domingos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ferritin is an abundant protein in the humans body and has a high ability to encapsulate and carry other molecules. This protein is called apoferritin when it is not bound to iron molecules, and this form has shown increasing protagonism in nanobiotechnology, which is justified by the characteristics that make it suitable for applications in this field. These include their structural symmetry, thermal and chemical stability in physiological conditions, adaptability to enhance their specificity and functionality through surface modifications, susceptibility to reconstitution through the process of controlled disorganization. Given this scenario, the application of this protein in the delivery of gene vaccines is an attractive proposal in the context of nanovaccinology, so that the development of DNA vaccines has relevant advantages, as the stability when compared to other gene vaccines, such as mRNA. The present project is a fundamental part to study the stability of the formulations that are developed in the pHD project entitled "Development and evaluation of delivery systems based on ferritin and chitosan for gene vaccine delivery" under the responsibility of Natália Floriano Paiva, and supervised by Profa. Dr. Fabiana Testa Moura de Carvalho Vicentini. In this context, it is worth emphasizing the importance of stability studies to prove the quality of the formulation and thus, the objective of this project is to evaluate the impact of different storage conditions in the formulations composed by the Maillard reaction product, as well as in the samples containing only apoferritin. Thus, the expected results will be of paramount importance for the determination of the best storage conditions of the formulations in the context of the development of the gene vaccine.