Thermosensitive liposomes in microneedles as double matrices for skin delivery

• Grant number: 24/09128-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Agreement: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
• Principal Investigator: Daniele Ribeiro de Araujo
• Grantee: Ana Lívia de Carvalho Bovolato
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/14753-0 - Biosensing and delivery point-of-care technologies based on microneedles to improve healthcare testing and treatments, AP.TEM

Abstract

The development of novel prophylactic therapies is one of the main strategies to limit complications associated to the ZIKV infection, as well as are of particular interest between the infection and fetal abnormalities during the early stages of development. Herein, we propose the design and development of thermosensitive liposomes considering their lipid composition and physico-chemical parameters (size, polydispersity, zeta potential) for encapsulating the human IgG1, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) anti ZIKV, and their further incorporation into microneedles. Formulations design will be performed by using the Box-Behnken planning, to investigate the influence of total amount of surfactant, lipids, presence of bioactive molecule and ration between surfactant and lipid percentages on size, polydispersity and zeta potential, as main colloidal stability parameters against time. After liposomal formulation design (best colloidal stability, encapsulation efficiency and bioactive loading), one of them will be selected for incorporation into microneedles prototype and then evaluated by skin permeation assays, permeation parameters calculated (permeation flux, permeability coefficient and lag time). Epidermis structural evaluation will be performed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in order to investigate morphological and structural variations on the stratum corneum surface after microneedles insertion.