Polypeptide-corticosteroid conjugates as a topical treatment approach to psoriasis

Topical treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis with corticosteroids suffers from challenges that include reduced drug bioavailability at the desired site of action. The retention of therapeutics within the epidermis can safely treat skin inflammation, scaling, and erythema associated with psoriasis while avoiding possible side effects associated with systemic treatments. We successfully synthesized and characterized a pH-responsive biodegradable poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA)-fluocinolone acetonide (FLUO) conjugate that allows the controlled release of the FLUO to reduce skin inflammation. Additionally, the application of a hyaluronic acid (HA)-poly-L-glutamate cross polymer (HA-CP) vehicle boosted skin permeation. During in vitro and ex vivo analyses, we discovered that PGA-FLUO inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine release, suggesting that polypeptidic conjugation fails to affect the anti-inflammatory activity of FLUO. Additionally, ex vivo human skin permeation studies using confocal microscopy revealed the presence of PGA-FLUO within the epidermis, but a minimal presence in the dermis, thereby reducing the likelihood of FLUO entering the systemic circulation. Finally, we demonstrated that PGA-FLUO applied within HA-CP effectively reduced psoriasis-associated phenotypes in an in vivo mouse model of human psoriasis while also lowering levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in tissue and serum. Overall, our experimental results demonstrate that PGA-FLUO within an HA-CP penetration enhancer represents an effective topical treatment for psoriasis.