Method Of Administration Research Articles

Refined tamoxifen administration in mice by encouraging voluntary consumption of palatable formulations

Drug administration in preclinical rodent models is essential for research and the development of novel therapies. Compassionate administration methods have been developed, but these are mostly incompatible with water-insoluble drugs such as tamoxifen or do not allow for precise timing or dosing of the drugs. For more than two decades, tamoxifen has been administered by oral gavage or injection to CreERT2–loxP gene-modified mouse models to spatiotemporally control gene expression, with the numbers of such inducible models steadily increasing in recent years. Animal-friendly procedures for accurately administering tamoxifen or other water-insoluble drugs would, therefore, have an important impact on animal welfare. On the basis of a previously published micropipette feeding protocol, we developed palatable formulations to encourage voluntary consumption of tamoxifen. We evaluated the acceptance of the new formulations by mice during training and treatment and assessed the efficacy of tamoxifen-mediated induction of CreERT2–loxP-dependent reporter genes. Both sweetened milk and syrup-based formulations encouraged mice to consume tamoxifen voluntarily, but only sweetened milk formulations were statistically noninferior to oral gavage or intraperitoneal injections in inducing CreERT2-mediated gene expression. Serum concentrations of tamoxifen metabolites, quantified using an in-house-developed cell assay, confirmed the lower efficacy of syrup- as compared to sweetened milk-based formulations. We found dosing with a micropipette to be more accurate than oral gavage or injection, with the added advantage that the method requires little training for the experimenter. The new palatable solutions encourage voluntary consumption of tamoxifen without loss of efficacy compared to oral gavage or injections and thus represent a refined administration method.

Effects of dexmedetomidine on depression-like behaviour in chronic restraint stress mice: Involvement of specific brain regions

It is crucial to develop novel antidepressants. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can exert antidepressant effects, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. We used chronic restraint stress (CRS) to induce depression-like behaviour in mice and administered low-dose DEX (2 μg/kg per day) during CRS modelling or one injection of high-dose DEX (20 μg/kg) after CRS. The results of the behavioural tests revealed that both methods ameliorated CRS-induced depression. The brain slices of the mice were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for c-fos and phosphorylated ERK (pERK). Results showed that the continuous low-dose DEX-treated group, but not the single high-dose DEX-treated group expressed less c-fos in the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) with a mean optical density (MOD) of 0.06. Other brain regions, including the dentate gyrus (DG), pyriform cortex (Pir), anterior part of paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVA), arcuate nucleus (Arc), and core or shell of accumbens nucleus (Acbc or Acbs), presented differences in c-fos expression. In contrast, the low-dose DEX-treated group exhibited three-fold greater pERK expression in the LC of the CRS mice, with a MOD of 0.15. Pir, cingulate cortex (Cg) and, anterior and posterior part of paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVA and PVP) exhibited pERK expression differences due to distinct reagent treatments. These changes indicate that the responses of brain regions to different DEX administration methods and doses vary. This study confirmed the ability of DEX to ameliorate CRS-induced depression and identified candidate target brain regions, thus providing new information for the antidepressant mechanism of DEX.

Engineering extracellular vesicles derived from lemons for delivering chemotherapeutic drug employing periostin targeting

Drug administration methods aim to reduce adverse effects and enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy medications. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown outstanding ability in drug delivery for a wide range of drugs, including chemotherapy drugs. One of the main objectives of this study was to enhance the selective delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) by utilizing modified lemon extracellular vesicles (LEV) for targeted delivery, in order to overcome breast cancer. Additionally, it aimed to further hinder both cancer cell growth and movement by disrupting periostin peptide (PN) via interaction between anti-periostin peptide (APN) and PN. The LEV was extracted from lemon juice, modified with APN onto its surface, and then DOX was loaded into the LEV-APN. The particle size and zeta potential were measured. The release study of DOX from the LEV-APN-DOX nanodrug was higher at an acidic pH 5.4 than the normal pH 7.4. The cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of the LEV-APN-DOX nanodrug were evaluated using flow cytometry analysis and the MTT method, respectively. In vivo therapeutic efficiency of the prepared nanoformulation was assessed using 4T1 tumor-bearing female BALB/c mice. Ex vivo fluorescent imaging revealed increased tumor accumulation and decreased heart clearance in LEV-APN-DOX compared to DOX. The histopathological evaluation also confirmed this result. Our findings highlight the potential of utilizing APN-modified liposomal doxorubicin to specifically target and efficiently treat breast adenocarcinoma.

Current review on nail drug delivery system and their future perspectives

Human nails are not only beautiful and protective, but they may also be utilized as a vehicle for drug delivery, particularly in the treatment of nail disorders such as psoriasis and onychomycosis. Even though nails develop at a somewhat moderate rate, their highly keratinized structure presents unique opportunities and challenges for medication penetration. Achieving therapeutic doses might be difficult even with topical pharmaceutical delivery, which offers advantages like non-invasiveness and customized effect. Many physical and chemical methods, such as acid etching and permeation enhancers, have been studied to improve drug penetration. It has recently been demonstrated that nail lacquers have potential for effectively delivering medication through the nails. Nail anatomy, common nail diseases, nail medication administration methods, and the advantages and disadvantages of nail lacquers are all covered in this overview. In addition, it discusses factors influencing drug diffusion through nails, draws comparisons between topical nail lacquers and oral antifungal medications, and looks at recent studies and patents on the topic. Future prospects for transungual medicine administration are promising, thanks to innovations such as photodynamic therapy and water-based lacquers. To fully realize the promise of this distribution method, more research is necessary.

Refinement of intranasal delivery in rats: A cadaveric study.

The intranasal route enables direct delivery of multiple substances from the nose to the brain, through olfactory and trigeminal pathways, bypassing the blood-brain barrier and avoiding systemic absorption. Despite the potential of this route, the various administration approaches make data reproducibility and interpretation challenging, emphasizing the necessity to establish a consistent methodology. Considering this, the aim of our study was to assess and compare the distribution of two dye volumes (30 µl and 50 µl) in the nasal cavity of rat cadavers. We employed three distinct methods of intranasal delivery: nose drops, by pipette tip, or cannula inserted into the nasal cavity. The results indicated that for both volumes, using the nose drops and the pipette tip methods, the dye dispersion occurred mainly in the vestibule, respiratory and olfactory regions, without reaching the olfactory bulbs. Using the cannula method, the deposition predominantly occurred in the respiratory and olfactory regions, with the dye reaching 66.7% and 100% of the olfactory bulbs, respectively, to low and high volume. Furthermore, the results demonstrated differences between the two volumes, in the pharynx, larynx, trachea, septal window, and incisive papilla, where an increased dye presence was observed with the 50 µl instillation across all three methods. According to our results, the intranasal delivery with a cannula was the most effective method for dye deposition in the olfactory region. However, further studies in live animals will be necessary to determine and refine the administration method that consistently allows specific deposition in the olfactory system.

Effectiveness of an atraumatic orogastric tube insertion protocol for the combined use of swaddling, facilitated tucking, breast milk and sucrose.

The study aims to develop a protocol for the combined use of swaddling, facilitated tucking, expressed breast milk and sucrose administration methods in the orogastric tube (OGT) insertion procedure and evaluate its effectiveness. The randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between 15 February 2022 and 15 September 2022, with 175 preterms. Preterms at 32-34 gestational weeks were randomly allocated to five groups: routine care, swaddling + expressed breast milk, swaddling + sucrose, facilitated tucking + expressed breast milk and facilitated tucking + sucrose groups. The data were collected using the Preterm Descriptive Information Form, the Physiological Measurement Form, the COMFORTneo scale and the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP). The facilitated tucking + expressed breast milk method was found to be more effective than the routine care (pdistress < 0.001; ppain = 0.031) and swaddling + expressed breast milk (pdistress = 0.004; ppain = 0.015) methods in reducing the estimated distress and PIPP pain level of preterms during the procedure. Two minutes after the procedure, the facilitated tucking + expressed breast milk method was more effective than the routine care (p < 0.001), swaddling + expressed breast milk (p = 0.011) and swaddling + sucrose (p = 0.002) methods in reducing the comfort level score. The facilitated tucking + expressed breast milk method is effective in reducing pain and distress and providing comfort during the OGT procedure. Clinical Trials ID: NCT05180058.

Hypertonic saline for ischemic stroke: a review

Background and Objective: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is a critical complication of ischemic stroke. This review article summarizes existing literature pertaining to the role of hypertonic saline (HTS) in lowering ICP in ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Studies were selected using a comprehensive search of several research databases. Studies conducted in adult (aged 18 and older) human patients receiving HTS osmotherapy for elevated ICP were included, encompassing a wide range of neurological conditions and various administration methods, durations, and concentrations of HTS. Results: We found HTS to reduce ICP in ischemic stroke patients, on par effectively, and in some studies, superior to more conventional ICP-lowering methods such as mannitol. Patients with comorbid conditions such as cerebrovascular and renal diseases also tolerated HTS well. The risk of developing hypernatremia was significantly higher in patients receiving HTS osmotherapy. Neurological complications, such as central pontine myelinosis, were not observed in any of the participants; however, no clear benefit regarding the long-term neurologic outcome of these patients has been reported thus far. Conclusion: While encouraging, existing literature on the use of HTS as a treatment for elevated ICP still needs to be more conclusive and necessitates further research. Questions regarding duration, optimal concentration of intervention, and method of administration need to be addressed by future randomized controlled trials.

Enhancement of Orthodontic Tooth Movement by Local Administration of Biofunctional Molecules: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Enhancement of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) through local administration of biofunctional molecules has become increasingly significant, particularly for adult patients seeking esthetic and functional improvements. This comprehensive systematic review analyzes the efficacy of various biofunctional molecules in modulating OTM, focusing on the method of administration and its feasibility, especially considering the potential for topical application. A search across multiple databases yielded 36 original articles of experimental human and animal OTM models, which examined biofunctional molecules capable of interfering with the biochemical reactions that cause tooth movement during orthodontic therapy, accelerating the OTM rate through their influence on bone metabolism (Calcitriol, Prostaglandins, Recombinant human Relaxin, RANKL and RANKL expression plasmid, growth factors, PTH, osteocalcin, vitamin C and E, biocompatible reduced graphene oxide, exogenous thyroxine, sclerostin protein, a specific EP4 agonist (ONO-AE1-329), carrageenan, and herbal extracts). The results indicated a variable efficacy in accelerating OTM, with Calcitriol, Prostaglandins (PGE1 and PGE2), RANKL, growth factors, and PTH, among others, showing promising outcomes. PGE1, PGE2, and Calcitriol experiments had statistically significant outcomes in both human and animal studies and, while other molecules underwent only animal testing, they could be validated in the future for human use. Notably, only one of the animal studies explored topical administration, which also suggests a future research direction. This review concluded that while certain biofunctional molecules demonstrated potential for OTM enhancement, the evidence is not definitive. The development of suitable topical formulations for human use could offer a patient-friendly alternative to injections, emphasizing comfort and cost-effectiveness. Future research should focus on overcoming current methodological limitations and advancing translational research to confirm these biomolecules' efficacy and safety in clinical orthodontic practice.

Trophic microRNA: Post-transcriptional regulation of target genes and larval development impairment in Plutella xylostella upon precursor and mature microRNA ingestion.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional gene regulators. In the miRNA pathway's cytoplasmic part, the miRNA is processed from a hairpin-structured precursor to a double-stranded (ds) mature RNA and ultimately to a single-stranded mature miRNA. In insects, ingesting these two ds forms can regulate the target gene expression; this inspired the trophic miRNA's use as a functional genomics and pest management tool. However, systematic studies enabling comparisons of pre- and mature forms, dosages, administration times and instar-wise effects on target transcripts and phenotypes, which can help develop a miRNA administration method, are unavailable due to the different focuses of the previous investigations. We investigated the impact of trophically delivered Px-let-7 miRNA on the lepidopteran pest Plutella xylostella, to compare the efficacies of its pre- and ds-mature forms. Continuous feeding on the miRNA-supplemented diet suppressed expressions of FTZ-F1 and E74, the target ecdysone pathway genes. Both the pre-let-7 and mature let-7 miRNA forms similarly downregulated the target transcripts in all four larval instars. Pre-let-7 and let-7 ingestions decreased larval mass and instar duration and increased mortality in all instars, exhibiting adverse effects on larval growth and development. miRNA processing Dicer-1 and AGO-1's upregulations upon miRNA ingestion denoted the systemic miRNA spread in larval tissues. The scrambled sequence controls did not affect the target transcripts, suggesting the sequence-specific targeting by the mature miRNA and hairpin cassette's non-involvement in the target downregulation. This work provides a framework for miRNA and target gene function analyses and potentiates the trophic miRNA's utility in pest management.

Assessment of Plants Used in Polyherbal Formulations for Traditional Treatment of Skin Infections in Ibadan Metropolis

IntroductionThere are numerous skin diseases and frequently occurring health problems that affect all ages, from neonates to the elderly, and in many ways cause harm. Natural treatment is cheap and claimed to be safe. It is also suitable for raw materials or the production of new synthetic drugs.The present study was aimed at carrying out an ethnobotanical investigation of polyherbal formulations traditionally used for the treatment of skin infections in the Ibadan metropolis. MethodsA comprehensive ethnobotanical survey was carried out in six local government areas within the Ibadan metropolis of Oyo State, Nigeria, where a substantial number of respondents were administered questionnaires. Information on the respondents' socioeconomic status, the types of plants utilised in polyherbal medicine, and the preparation and skill-acquisition techniques of the local herbal practitioners were all gathered. The generated data were subjected to descriptive statistics analysis. ResultsThe obtained results showed that Daniella oliveri, Olax subcorpioidea, Khaya grandifolia, Piper guineensis, Anogesius leocarpa, and Alstonia boonei are the most often utilised herbs for treating skin infections. Barks are mainly used because the highest occurring mode of preparation recorded was decoction, and barks are mostly decocted to release the active constituents in them for the treatment of fungal skin infections. The most common method of administration of the herbal preparations was drinking the decoction after preparation. ConclusionsThis study confirmed that polyherbal medicines have great potential in treating various types of skin infections and a few rural and urban dwellers still depend on traditional healing methods.

A sound methodology: Measuring experiences of violent conflict through audio self-interviews

This paper investigates the impact of different survey administration methods on the disclosure of sensitive or traumatic experiences. Respondents of a pilot study in Ethiopia were randomly assigned to answer questions either using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) or as part of a face-to-face (FtF) enumerator-based interview. Results indicate that ACASI led to higher disclosure rates of conflict-related experiences, particularly for the most sensitive questions, i.e., when either the respondent or a close friend or family member was the victim, or when the trauma suffered was more severe. ACASI offers a viable solution to measure traumatic conflict-related experience exposure in low-literacy settings, overcoming the underestimation problem commonly observed when using standard survey methods.

Exploring the Influence of Concurrent Nutritional Therapy on Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Receiving Nusinersen Treatment.

Background This study examines spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease associated with malnutrition. Our goals are to assess how effectively screening tools can detect malnutrition and evaluate the impact of nutritional interventions on neurological outcomes, particularly motor functions. Methods Thirty-seven genetically diagnosed SMA patients (types 1, 2, and 3) under nusinersen therapy were included in the study. The nutritional status of these patients was assessed by using anthropometric measurements, including height for age (HFA), weight for height (WFH), and body mass index (BMI) before and after the study. Additionally, the risk of malnutrition was determined using screening tools, namely the Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) and the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP). Nutritional counseling followed the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guidelines and considered the patients' dietary history, including content and administration method. Motor functions were assessed by validated tests: the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP-INTEND) and the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE). Result The study showed an improvement in HFA, by a change from -0.95 to -0.65 (p = 0.015). Conversely, BMI scores decreased from 0.08 to -0.54 (p = 0.015), while WFH and MUAC showed no significant alterations (p = 0.135, p = 0.307). Following nutritional interventions, HFMSE demonstrated a median increase from 29.5 to 30.5 (p = 0.023). Patients identified as being at high risk for malnutrition based on PYMS and STAMP belonged to the moderate-to-severe malnutrition group (BMI Z-score ≤ -2, p = 0.001). Conclusions Use of screening tools in SMA patients is highly beneficial for the early detection of malnutrition. Future research should highlight the importance of combining nutritional management with nusinersen therapy to potentially alter the disease trajectory, especially in motor and neurological functions.

Research hotspots and frontiers of essential tremor from 2013 to 2023: a visualization analysis based on CiteSpace.

ET, one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, presents a significant challenge in terms of disability. Despite the growing focus on ET in recent years, comprehensive bibliometric analysis has been lacking. This study delves into essential tremor research covering the period from 2013 to 2023, utilizing the Web of Science (WOS) database. Employing CiteSpace for quantitative analysis, it examines an array of metrics including annual publication trends, contributions from countries and institutions, authorship patterns, key terminologies, and patterns of reference co-citation. The primary objective is to use CiteSpace for a detailed visual exploration of the literature over the last decade, pinpointing the evolving landscape and key areas of focus in essential tremor research, and thus providing a foundation for future investigative endeavors. There were 2,224 literary works included in all. The amount of published works has been steadily rising in recent years. Of them, the majority originate from the United States, Louis, Elan D. is the publisher of the most publications (161 articles), and Movement Disorders is the journal that receives the most citations. The key words contribution and co-cited literatures suggest that the main research hotspots in recent years are the physiological and pathological mechanism of essential tremor, the determination of optimal targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and surgery transcranial magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) in the surgical management of essential tremor and the innovative research of botulinum toxin administration method.

High-fidelity imaging of fatty liver in vivo with a fluorescent and photoacoustic dual-mode probe by taking advantage of the liver “first pass effect”

Intravenous injection is the most commonly used method for probe delivery in bio-imaging. While, the oral administration method might be more efficient than intravenous injection for fatty liver imaging due to the existence of liver “first pass effect”. However, this fundamental question has not yet been clarified. Meanwhile, in consideration of the deep tissue imaging and signal fidelity, fluorescent-photoacoustic (PA) dual-mode probes are much more desirable. Herein, an orally administrable dual-mode probe WSP-3 is revealed as a tool for imaging of the fatty liver disease and providing an insight into the above scientific question. A D-π-A system is linked with a rotatable CC single bond in WSP-3, which facilitates the formation of a TICT state in low viscosity environments and an ICT state in high viscosity environments. Base on the positive correlation between fatty liver disease and cell viscosity, dual-mode imaging of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and drug-induced fatty liver disease (DIFLD) in vivo was accomplished. Moreover, control experiments indicated that the oral administration method demonstrated higher efficiency in fatty liver disease imaging, providing a fundamental reference for further probe-based fatty liver imaging.

Impact of nebulization versus metered-dose inhaler utilization on viral particle dispersion in patients with COVID-19

Background Conflicting guidance exists regarding the characterization of nebulization as an aerosol-generating procedure and subsequent risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to healthcare workers. Aim/Objective This study sought to address whether SARS-CoV-2 viral load distribution was impacted by bronchodilator delivery via nebulizer versus metered-dose inhaler (MDI). Methods Adults infected with COVID-19 were enrolled and received a single dose of albuterol sulfate nebulized solution (2.5 mg/3 mL via breath-actuated nebulizer with filtered mouthpiece) or albuterol sulfate hydrofluoroalkane inhalation aerosol (90 µg/actuation; two puffs via MDI with spacer) in a randomized crossover sequence. Air and surfaces were sampled at predefined locations within patients’ hospital rooms to assess SARS-CoV-2 dispersion over three periods (baseline, MDI, and nebulizer). Findings/Results Eleven patients received crossover therapy. Six patients had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA during one treatment period ( n = 3 each for MDI and nebulizer) and one during both treatment periods. No viral RNA was found in the rooms of four (36.4%) patients. Overall, few environmental samples (17/397; 4.3%) contained detectable viral RNA, with no meaningful differences in positivity rate across periods; RNA genome copy numbers were low in positive samples. No correlation between dispersion and patient clinical status or environmental parameters was observed. Discussion In this first prospective trial evaluating viral load distribution following use of nebulizer versus MDI in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, low environmental contamination was found regardless of administration method. Findings support the use of either device when needed to treat patients with COVID-19.

Nanocarriers for Cannabinoid Delivery: Enhancing Therapeutic Potential.

Medical cannabis has potential therapeutic benefits in managing pain, anxiety, depression, and neurological and movement disorders. Phytocannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant are responsible for their pharmacological and therapeutic properties. However, the complexity of cannabis components, especially cannabinoids, poses a challenge to effective medicinal administration. Even with the increasing acceptance of cannabis-based medicines, achieving consistent bioavailability and targeted distribution remains difficult. Conventional administration methods are plagued by solubility and absorption problems requiring innovative solutions. After conducting a thorough review of research papers and patents, it has become evident that nanotechnology holds great promise as a solution. The comprehensive review of 36 research papers has yielded valuable insights, with 7 papers reporting enhanced bioavailability, while others have focused on improvements in release, solubility, and stability. Additionally, 19 patents have been analyzed, of which 7 specifically claim enhanced bioavailability, while the remaining patents describe various formulation methods. These patents outline effective techniques for encapsulating cannabis using nanocarriers, effectively addressing solubility and controlled release. Studies on the delivery of cannabis using nanocarriers focus on improving bioavailability, prolonging release, and targeting specific areas. This synthesis highlights the potential of nanotechnology to enhance cannabis therapies and pave the way for innovative interventions and precision medicine.

Enhancing Response Rates in Web-Based Surveys: The Impact of Direct Participant Contact.

Achieving a high participation rate is a common challenge in healthcare research based on web-based surveys. A study on local anesthetic systemic toxicity awareness and usage among medical practitioners at two Swiss university hospitals encountered resistance in obtaining personal email addresses from Heads of Departments. Participants were therefore divided into two groups: those who were directly invited via email (personal invitation group) and those who received a generic link through intermediaries (generic link group). The latter group was eventually excluded from survey data analysis. To determine whether one method of survey administration was more effective than another, we carried out a retrospective analysis of response rates and the proportion of new questionnaires completed after initial invitation and subsequent reminders. The results showed significantly higher response rates in the personal invitation group (40.2%, 313/779) compared to the generic link group (25.3%, 22/87), emphasizing the effectiveness of personal invitations on response rate (+14.9%, p = 0.007). The personal invitation group consistently yielded a higher number of completed questionnaires following the initial invitation and each reminder. The method of survey administration can greatly influence response rates and should be acknowledged as a quality criterion when conducting web-based surveys.

Catalase-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis based cryo-millineedle platform facilitates the photo-immunotherapy against colorectal cancer via hypoxia improvement

The synergistic anti-tumor impact of phototherapy and a cascading immune response are profoundly limited by hypoxia and a weakened immune response. Intravenous and intratumoral injection of therapeutic drugs also cause pain, rapid drug clearance and low utilization rates. Here, a novel cryo-millineedle platform for intratumoral delivery of a phototherapy system, S.epi@IR820, is developed in this work, combining the properties of Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and IR820 for photo-immunotherapy of colorectal cancer. In this cryo-millineedle platform, S. epidermidis enhances the near-infrared absorption and light stability of IR820 and catalyzes the decomposition of H2O2 into O2 via an endogenous catalase to relieve tumor hypoxia, improve phototherapy and enhance immunogenic cell death (ICD). More interestingly, the native immunogenicity of S. epidermidis and ICD elicited by phototherapy achieved a potent anti-tumor immune response. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize native S. epidermidis to relieve hypoxia and facilitate phototherapy. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the millineedle based phototherapy system can efficiently catalyse the decomposition of H2O2 into O2, facilitate phototherapeutic killing of CT26 tumor cells by S.epi@IR820 and enhance ICD, thus successfully activated the immune response and achieved the photo-immunotherapy against colorectal cancer. In conclusion, this study provides a novel strategy for enhanced anti-tumor efficiency of photo-immunotherapy, and develops an effective method for orthotopic administration of tumors.

Microneedles: An Efficient Technique to Increase Transdermal Drug Delivery System.

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS) have gained attention as a viable substitute for traditional drug administration methods because of their controlled release capabilities and non-invasive design. Microneedles are a new and effective technology that has attracted a lot of attention recently to enhance the capabilities of TDDS further. The study on microneedles and their potential to improve transdermal medication delivery is thoroughly reviewed in this review article. The study initiates by clarifying the difficulties linked to traditional medication delivery techniques and the benefits provided by transdermal channels. The article then explores the development of microneedle technology, outlining the several kinds of microneedles-solid, hollow, and dissolving-as well as their uses. Because of their special capacity to penetrate the skin's protective layer painlessly and their ability to distribute drugs precisely and precisely, microneedles are a highly useful instrument in pharmaceutical research. The materials, geometry, and manufacturing processes that affect the design and creation of microneedles are critically analyzed and presented. The manuscript delves into the latest developments in microneedle technology, encompassing the utilization of biodegradable polymers, smart materials, and sensing components for in-the-- moment monitoring. This analysis concludes by highlighting the noteworthy advancements in the field of microneedles and their potential to transform transdermal drug delivery systems. This thorough knowledge seeks to further the current discussion in pharmaceutical research, encouraging creativity and opening the door for the creation of safer, more effective drug delivery systems.

Comparative Efficacy of Inhaled and Intravenous Corticosteroids in Managing COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition in which the lungs fail to provide sufficient oxygen to the body's vital organs. It is commonly associated with COVID-19 patients. Severe cases of COVID-19 can lead to lung damage and organ failure due to an immune response in the body. To mitigate these effects, corticosteroids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, have been suggested as a potential treatment option. The primary focus of this study was to assess the impact of various corticosteroid administration methods on the outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Methods: The current study was conducted on COVID-19 patients divided into three groups. The first group was administered 6 mg of intravenous (IV) dexamethasone; the second group received 1 mg/kg of IV methylprednisolone (methylprednisolone); and the third group received budesonide respirable solution at a dosage of 1mg twice daily. The neubilizer used was a vibrating mesh nebulizer (VMN). All patients received standard care. We found that dexamethasone administered intravenously led to a significant reduction in C-reactive protein levels, surpassing the effectiveness of both IV methylprednisolone and inhaled budesonide. Oxygen saturation without mask change over time showed statistically significant differences (p = 0.004) in favor of the budesonide and dexamethasone groups for all days. Individuals who received methylprednisolone showed a significant decrease in mortality rate and an extended survival duration, with statistical significance observed at p = 0.024. The rest of the parameters, including ferritin, lymphocytes, total leukocyte count, platelets, hemoglobin, urea, serum potassium, serum sodium, serum creatinine, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, uric acid, albumin, globulin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, international normalized ratio, oxygen saturation with flow, and oxygen flow, showed no statistically significant differences between the three drugs. In conclusion, treatment with IV methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg) resulted in a shorter hospital stay, decreased reliance on ventilation, and improved health outcomes for COVID-19 patients compared to using dexamethasone at a daily dosage of 6 mg or budesonide respirable solution at a dosage of 1mg twice daily.