ANTI-IL17 ANTIBODY-LOADED POLYDOPAMINE NANOPARTICLES FOR PSORIASIS TREATMENT: FROM FORMULATIONS DESIGN TO MICRONEEDLES INCORPORATION PERFORMANCE

• Grant number: 24/09569-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Daniele Ribeiro de Araujo
• Grantee: Iasmin Ferreira de Araujo
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , 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

Psoriasis (PSO) is an inflammatory dermatosis triggered by hyperproliferation and abnormal differentiation of T-cells able to release psoriatic cytokines (IL-17 and IL-22). In fact, IL-17 is the dominant cytokine that drives Tcell and keratinocytes activity in PSO, activating the proliferation of keratinocytes in the epidermis and boosting the maintenance phase of psoriatic inflammation. Herein, we propose the use of polydopamine nanoparticles (PDAs) to encapsulate an anti-IL-17 antibody, in attempt to reduce the clinical signs and severity of the psoriatic inflammation. Due to the negative charge of PDA and the positive charge of chitosan (CHI), electrostatic forces are created between the two polymers, forming a matrix with intermolecular interactions. Additionally, considering their promising use, an interesting strategy is the association with microneedles. In fact, PDAs can modulate the bioactives (such as antibodies, proteins, enzymes etc) release or permeation rate while microneedles represent a stable and effective matrix to overcome the stratum corneum barrier. The system anti-IL17-PDA-CHI in microneedles will be characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential, Polydispersion Index and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, Encapsulation Efficiency, Drug Loading Percentages and Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy. Additionally, permeation parameters such as flux, permeability coefficient and lag time will be determined as well as the pharmacological effects of the prototype (anti-IL17-PDA-CHI in microneedles).