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Archaeosomes for Oral Drug Delivery: From Continuous Microfluidics Production to Powdered Formulations
Ivan Vidakovic1, Karin Kornmueller1, Daniela Fiedler2
1Division of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signaling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Pharmaceutics
|June 27, 2024
Summary
Archaeosomes, derived from archaeal lipids, show remarkable stability for oral drug delivery. These stable, powdered carriers effectively protect drugs like insulin in harsh gastrointestinal conditions.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
- Pharmaceutics
Background:
- Archaeosomes are novel vesicular structures derived from natural archaeal lipids.
- Oral drug delivery faces challenges due to harsh gastrointestinal conditions and enzymatic degradation.
- Developing stable carriers for biologics like insulin is crucial for effective oral administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the stability and suitability of archaeosomes as carriers for oral drug delivery, particularly in powdered formulations.
- To assess archaeosome resilience under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and during processing.
- To investigate archaeosome adhesion and drug release kinetics in an intestinal cell model.
Main Methods:
- Archaeosomes were produced using a microfluidics-assisted single-step method from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius lipids.
- Model drugs (calcein and insulin) were encapsulated within archaeosomes.
- Stability was tested in simulated intestinal fluids, acidic pH, and enzymatic conditions.
- Adhesion and release were studied using a co-culture cell model.
- Archaeosomes underwent freeze-drying and spray-drying for powder formulation.
Main Results:
- Archaeosomes exhibited excellent stability in simulated intestinal fluids, with minimal drug release (<5%) over 24 hours.
- High resilience was observed under extremely acidic pH and in the presence of degrading enzymes.
- Strong adhesion to intestinal cell membranes was noted, facilitating controlled drug release.
- Insulin encapsulation efficiency reached approximately 35% in a single step.
- Archaeosomes demonstrated remarkable stability through harsh freeze-drying and spray-drying processes.
Conclusions:
- Archaeosomes possess exceptional stability and resilience, making them promising carriers for oral drug delivery.
- Stable dry powder formulations of archaeosomes are achievable, advancing solid dosage forms for biologics.
- The unique properties of archaeosomes offer a viable strategy for oral delivery of sensitive therapeutic agents like insulin.
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