Nanomedicine and Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology

Biography

Biography: Khaled Greish

Abstract

The oral route is the most preferred mode of administration among patients, due to its non-invasive nature. Oral administration of therapeutics can improve the patient`s quality of life, reduce costs associated with hospitalization and avoid complications associated with intravenous injections. The primary barrier to clinical application of an oral therapeutic, is poor oral bioavailability, a result of the combination of low water solubility, low pH stability, poor mucosal penetration, extensive first pass metabolism, and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux and enzymatic degradation. Nanocarriers present a unique opportunity to overcome these barriers due to their design flexibility, surface functionality, and ability to deliver a wide range of therapeutics. Nanocarrier systems can enhance the solubility of the bioactive, protect them from enzymatic degradation and allow incorporation of the appropriate surface functionalization to favor uptake through the intestinal epithelium. Additionally, nanocarriers can prevent the direct contact of the bioactive agent with the cells of gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Nanocarriers can thus reduce the toxicity, prolong the circulatory half-life of the bioactives and accommodate targeting moieties to enhance further their prospects as site specific delivery systems. In this presentation, we will discuss our work utilizing Styrene Maleic Acid (SMA) nanomicelles for oral drug delivery through two case studies. The first example involves the use of oral paclitaxel nanomiceller formulation for treatment of colon cancer. The second case will discuss the successful use of oral nanoformulation of the selective estrogen receptor modulator (raloxifene) for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).