Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as a Carrier for Anti Rheumatic Drugs

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder, causing chronic inflammation affecting the joints. Treatment for RA can help in delaying the progression of the disease. Methotrexate (MTX), used as a first-line treatment, is associated with toxicities when used for long-term therapy. Several clinical trials have reported that use of antioxidants as supplements along with MTX not only shows better therapeutic response but also alleviates drug-related toxicity. Several studies have delineated the anti-inflammatory activity of quercetin (QE), a potent antioxidant found naturally in our daily diet. The therapeutic use of QE, however, is limited owing to its poor solubility and bioavailability. Hence, to address these issues of drug-associated toxicity and poor bioavailability, a multidisciplinary approach involving nanotechnology must be employed to improve the prognosis of the disease. newlineSolid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) that are widely studied as a drug carriers consist of a solid hydrophobic core with a monolayer of phospholipid that remains solid at room and body temperatures. The advantages of using SLNs include improved biocompatibility, low toxicity, prolonged controlled drug release, excellent tolerability, and good stability against particle growth. SLNs, because of their small size (100 300 nm), bypass the liver and spleen metabolism and are directly absorbed from the intestines via the lymphatic system which enhances the bioavailability of the drugs. SLN also prevents drug leakage and provides controlled drug release. Thus, SLNs serve as an ideal drug delivery system.The project aimed to use SLNs as drug carriers to (i) reduce MTX-associated toxicity, and (ii) improve the bioavailability of QE. The project also focused on the combination therapy using MTX-loaded and QE-loaded SLNs for better efficacy and safety. The drugs were initially evaluated to ensure there is no physicochemical interaction between them indicating that they could considered for combination therapy. newline