Sustainable Polymer Chemistry and Colloid Science
Edyta’s and Dom’s paper on the using asymmetric flow field flow fractionation (AF4) to characterise the degradation of core-shell nanogels is now available. We think that AF4 is a very useful for looking at nanoparticle degradation behaviour. Access the paper here.
Another paper by former PhD student Heba Elkateb is out now. Her research on high drug loading lipid-based nanoparticles in JCIS Open showcases the use of a nanoprecipitation method to produce SLNs, NLCs, and nanoemulsions with high drug loadings. Access the paper here.
We are delighted to announce the publication of an important research paper in Food Hydrocolloids, stemming from Nancy’s PhD work.
Nancy’s research focuses on utilising a titration method to enhance the stability and release behaviour of curcumin nanosuspensions—a compound with limited aqueous solubility. By employing biocompatible and biodegradable polyelectrolytes, nanosuspension coatings were successfully applied, leading to promising results.
The study showcases the potential of layer-by-layer (LbL) modification, specifically by using a pH-responsive outer layer, which delays curcumin release in acidic conditions and facilitates release in neutral pH environments over an extended period.
These findings contribute to the development of more effective oral drug delivery systems. Nancy’s work demonstrates the value of a titrated LbL modification approach in tailoring nanosuspension stability and release behaviour.
We are pleased to announce the publication of the review article based on Jess’ work, which addresses the urgent need for improved therapeutic systems to combat preterm birth—a global concern. The article explores the potential of nanomedicine in enhancing the efficacy and safety of existing treatments. It delves into various nanomedicine strategies, including liposomes and polymers, showcasing their successful applications in obstetrics. Additionally, the review highlights the repurposing of active pharmaceutical agents with tocolytic properties for preterm birth treatment. This research provides valuable insights into the future of preterm birth management, offering hope for improved outcomes for both mothers and infants.
Access the paper here.
The review article assocaited with Josh’s work with PZ Cussons has been published. Josh worked on on the KTP project Understanding the physiological processes of the DHA skin colouring mechanism.
Our 1st paper of 2022 comes from Dom’s research. In this paper, Dom shows how the thermoresponsive and degradation behaviour of nanogels can be tuned by using a core-shell structure.
Cameron’s first paper is now published. Cameron prepared hydrophobically modified drug analogues and used these to produce nanoparticles. These particles displayed high drug loading and the LogP of the compound controlled NP formation.
Nancy’s second paper has recently been published. In this work, Nancy shows a new and simple way of formulating a poorly soluble compound like curcumin to give a solid that can be dispersed to give nanoparticles. This approach allowed the curcumin to display similar biological properties to solubilised curcumin but without the need for any solvent. See the full article here.
Our review article on nanoparticles that show multi-stimuli-responsive aggregation behaviour is now online in Nanoscale. This article came out of Luke Johnson’s MSc student’s project, with support from Dom and Edyta carried out during the lockdown. I think that this is a great output (especially under the circumstances) and is credit to the work from Luke, Dom and Edyta.
The article is available here.
In this work, Jess investigated the effect of the structure of poloxamer stabilisers on the polarity inside solid lipid nanoparticles. This understanding will assist the selection of stabilisers and may potentially allow increased drug loading in solid lipid nanoparticles. See the full article here.
