Colon-Targeted Hydrogel Microsphere System Encapsulating Oleic Acid-Emodin for Crohn's Disease Treatment via...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Gastroenterology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with limited oral treatment efficacy due to poor drug targeting and bioavailability.
• Current therapies face challenges including inadequate colon retention and low drug absorption, necessitating advanced drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a colon-targeted hydrogel microsphere (HM@OAE) system for enhanced emodin delivery in Crohn's disease therapy.
• To improve emodin's bioavailability and solubility using oleic acid (OA) encapsulation within hyaluronic acid (HA) and calcium alginate (CA) hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Encapsulation of oleic acid-emodin (OAE) into HA/CA hydrogel microspheres (HM@OAE) for oral administration.
• Evaluation of pH-responsive, colon-specific drug release and in vitro anti-inflammatory effects (cytokine reduction, ROS scavenging, ferroptosis inhibition).
• In vivo assessment of HM@OAE efficacy in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mouse model.

Main Results:

• HM@OAE demonstrated pH-responsive release in the colon, bypassing stomach degradation.
• In vitro studies showed significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and ferroptosis.
• In vivo studies confirmed HM@OAE's therapeutic efficacy, alleviating colonic inflammation and restoring intestinal barrier function.

Conclusions:

• The HM@OAE system represents a promising colon-targeted drug delivery strategy for Crohn's disease.
• This approach enhances emodin's therapeutic potential by improving bioavailability and targeted delivery to the inflamed colon.