Alginate-based bipolymeric-nanobioceramic composite matrices for sustained drug release were developed through incorporation of nano-hydroxyapatite [nHAp] powders within ionotropically-gelled calcium ion-induced alginate-poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) blends polymeric systems. nHAp powders were synthesized by precipitation technique using calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] and orthophosphoric acid [H3PO4] as raw materials. The average particle size of these was synthesized. nHAp powders was found as 19.04 nm and used to prepare nHAp-alginate-PVP beads containing DS. These beads exhibited drug entrapment efficiency (%) of 65.82±1.88 to 94.45±3.72% and average bead sizes of 0.98±0.07 to 1.23±0.15 mm. These beads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform-infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. Various nHAp-alginate-PVP beads containing DS exhibited prolonged sustained drug release and followed the Koresmeyer-Peppas model of drug release (R2=0.9908-0.9978) with non-Fickian release (anomalous transport) mechanism (n=0.73-0.84) for drug release over 8 h.
In recent years, due to the effective drug delivery and preciseness of tumor sites or microenvironment, the targeted drug delivery approaches have gained ample attention for tumor metastasis therapy. The conventional treatment approaches for metastasis therapy have reported with immense adverse effects because they exhibited maximum probability of killing the carcinogenic cells along with healthy cells. The tumor vasculature, comprising of vasculogenic impressions and angiogenesis, greatly depends upon the growth and metastasis in the tumors. Therefore, various nanocarriers-based delivery approaches for targeting to tumor vasculature have been attempted as efficient and potential approaches for the treatment of tumor metastasis and the associated lesions. Furthermore, the targeted drug delivery approaches have found to be most apt way to overcome from all the limitations and adverse effects associated with the conventional therapies. In this review, various approaches for efficient targeting of pharmacologically active chemotherapeutics against tumor metastasis with the cohesive objectives of prognosis, tracking and therapy are summarized.
On March 11, 2020, the novel Corona virus disease (COVID-19), was described as a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). Globally, the COVID-19 has not only affected the public health socially but also has rigorously affected economically. Substantial declines in income, increase in unemployment, and distractions in the transportation, amenities, and industrial sectors are amongst the major concerns of the pandemic disease extenuation. Furthermore, the governments of most of the countries underestimated the menaces of COVID-19 spread and were typically responsive for the calamities in their respective countries. As outbreak of this pandemic is not likely to wane in the nearby future, preventive actions are prerequisite to prevent infection spread, save people lives and also to save the economic affluence. In this review, based on the present knowledge and available literature, we have demonstrated the various aspects of pre-and post-COVID-19 effects over the social and economic phases worldwide. Moreover, the evidence based data have been summarized regarding threats, social influences, scientific upgrades, moral dynamics, stress and adapting in the pre- and post- COVID-19 situations.