Drug carrier transfersomes: A novel tool for transdermal drug delivery system.

Transport of the drug through skin is best route of drug delivery because of the skin is largest organ human organ with total weight 3 kg and a surface of 1.5 -2.0 m2. Drug carries used in transdermal drug delivery such as liposomes, noisomes, or microemulsions has problem that they remains mostly confined to the skin surface and therefore do not transport drugs efficiently through the skin. By using the concept of rational membrane design we have recently devised special composite bodies, so-called Transfersomes. Transfersomes penetrate through the pores of stratum corneum which are smaller than its size and get into the underlying viable skin in intact form. This is because of its deformable nature. The system can be characterized by in vitro for vesicle shape and size, entrapment efficiency, degree of deformability, number of vesicles per cubic mm. They can act as a carrier for low as well as high molecular weight drugs e.g. analgesic, anesthetic, corticosteroids, sex hormone, anticancer, insulin, gap junction protein, and albumin.

Ethosomes: A recent vesicle of transdermal drug delivery system.

Transdermal drug delivery system was first introduced more than 30 years ago. The technology generated tremendous excitement and interest amongst major pharmaceutical companies in the 1980s and 90s. By the mid to late 1990s, the trend of transdermal drug delivery system merged into larger organizations. Ethosomes are the ethanolic phospholipid vesicles which are used mainly for transdermal delivery of drugs. Ethosomes have higher penetration rate through the skin as compared to liposomes hence these can be used widely in place of liposomes. Ethosomes have become an area of research interest, because of its enhanced skin permeation, improved drug delivery, increased drug entrapment efficiency etc. The purpose of writing this review on ethosomes drug delivery was to compile the focus on the various aspects of ethosomes including their mechanism of penetration, preparation, advantages, composition, characterization, application and marketed product of ethosomes. Characterizations of ethosomes include Particle size, Zeta potential, Differential Scanning Calorimertry, Entrapment efficiency, Surface tension activity measurement, Vesicle stability and Penetration Studies etc.

Novel oral sustained release technology: A concise review.

The advantage of administering a single dose of a drug that is released over an extended period of time instead of numerous doses is now a day’s area of interest for formulation scientists in Pharmaceutical industry. There are several advantages of sustained release drug delivery over conventional dosage forms like improved patient compliance due to less frequent drug administration, maximum utilization of the drug, increased safety margin of potent drug, reduction of fluctuation in steady-state drug levels, reduction in healthcare costs through improved therapy and shorter treatment period. Wide varieties of polymers like Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC), Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC), Ethyl Cellulose (EC), Cellulose Acetate Phthalate, HPMC K100M, Xanthan gum, Carrageenan gum, Karaya gum, HPMC K15, Carbopol 971P and Carbopol 974P etc. are available for retarding the release rate of drugs hence sustains the action of drugs. This review article describes the basic information regarding sustained-release formulation, its advantages, disadvantages, selection of drug for sustain release, mechanism of release, different types, and factor involved in oral sustained-release dosage form design.

Management of guillain-barré syndrome-an autoimmune disorder: A review.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances, the weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. There is no known cure for Guillain-Barré syndrome, but therapies can lessen the severity of the illness and accelerate the recovery in most patients. There are also a number of ways to treat the complications of the disease. Currently, plasmapheresis and high-dose immunoglobulin therapy are used. Plasmapheresis seems to reduce the severity and duration of the Guillain-Barré episode. In high-dose immunoglobulin therapy, doctors give intravenous injections of the proteins that in small quantities, the immune system uses naturally to attack invading organism. The most critical part of the treatment for this syndrome consists of keeping the patient's body functioning during recovery of the nervous system. This can sometimes require placing the patient on a respirator, a heart monitor, or other machines that assist body function. The aim of present article is to provide in depth knowledge about Guillain-Barré syndrome which is no doubt, a rare autoimmune disorder. In this article the author has explained all the clinical aspects related to Guillain-Barré syndrome. This article presents a brief review of Guillain-Barré syndrome with an emphasis on its possible management and therapies.

Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB): An overview.

Tuberculosis or TB is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis in humans. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air, when people who have the disease cough, sneeze, or spit. Most infections in humans result in anasymptomatic, latent infection, and about one in ten latent infections eventually progresses to active disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than 50% of its victims. Extensively drugresistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is a relatively rare type of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). It is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, including the two best first-line drugs: isoniazid and rifampin. XDR TB is also resistant to the best second-line medications: fluoroquinolones and at least one of three injectable drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin). One in three people in the world is infected with dormant TB germs (i.e. TB bacteria). Only when the bacteria become active do people become ill with TB. Bacteria become active as a result of anything that can reduce the person’s immunity, such as HIV, advancing age, or some medical conditions. TB can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti- TB drugs. If these drugs are misused or mismanaged, multidrug-resistant TB (MDRTB) can develop. MDR-TB takes longer to treat with second-line drugs, which are more expensive and have more side-effects. XDR-TB can develop when these second-line drugs are also misused or mismanaged and therefore also become ineffective. Because XDR-TB is resistant to first- and second-line drugs, treatment options are seriously limited. It is therefore vital that TB control is managed properly. This article presents a brief review of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis with an emphasis on its various aspects associated i.e. introduction, symptoms, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, vaccines as well as prevention; the article reveals the different approaches in the management of Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and correlation between XDR-TB as well as HIV/AIDS.

Clinical applications of nanomedicines: A review.

Molecular nanotechnology has been defined as the three-dimensional positional control of molecular structure to create materials and devices to molecular precision. The human body is comprised of molecules; hence the availability of molecular nanotechnology will permit dramatic progress in human medical services. More than just an extension of "molecular medicine," nanomedicine will employ molecular machine systems to address medical problems, and will use molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale. Nanomedicine will have extraordinary and far-reaching implications for the medical profession, for the definition of disease, for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions including aging, and ultimately for the improvement and extension of natural human biological structure and function. Nanomedicine is the preservation and improvement of human health using molecular tools and molecular knowledge of the human body. Nanomedicines are an emerging group of therapeutics that take advantage of our understanding of phenomena on the nanometer scale. Nanomedicines research requires expertise in a range of diverse fields and thus requires multidisciplinary teams. This article presents a brief review of Nanomedicines with an emphasis on its various aspects associated i.e. introduction, definition, medical and clinical uses, especially role of nanomedicines in treatment of dreadful disease like cancer in current scenario. The article also reveals the concept of nanorobots as well as implications for nanotoxicology from nanomedicines.