Person:
Bravo Osuna, Irene

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First Name
Irene
Last Name
Bravo Osuna
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Farmacia
Department
Farmacia Galénica y Tecnología Alimentaria
Area
Farmacia y Tecnología Farmaceútica
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Search Results

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Microspheres as intraocular therapeutic tools in chronic diseases of the optic nerve and retina
    (Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2018) Bravo Osuna, Irene; Andrés-Guerrero, Vanessa; Arranz Romera, Alicia; Esteban Pérez, Sergio; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa; Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío
    Pathologies affecting the optic nerve and the retina are one of the major causes of blindness. These diseases include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma, among others. Also, there are genetic disorders that affect the retina causing visual impairment. The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases of the posterior segment are increased as most of them are related with the elderly. Even with the access to different treatments, there are some challenges in managing patients suffering retinal diseases. One of them is the need for frequent interventions. Also, an unpredictable response to therapy has suggested that different pathways may be playing a role in the development of these diseases. The management of these pathologies requires the development of controlled drug delivery systems able to slow the progression of the disease without the need of frequent invasive interventions, typically related with endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, ocular hypertension, cataract, inflammation, and floaters, among other. Biodegradable microspheres are able to encapsulate low molecular weight substances and large molecules such as biotechnological products. Over the last years, a large variety of active substances has been encapsulated in microspheres with the intention of providing neuroprotection of the optic nerve and the retina. The purpose of the present review is to describe the use of microspheres in chronic neurodegenerative diseases affecting the retina and the optic nerve. The advantage of microencapsulation of low molecular weight drugs as well as therapeutic peptides and proteins to be used as neuroprotective strategy is discussed. Also, a new use of the microspheres in the development of animal models of neurodegeneration of the posterior segment is described.
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    Smart biodegradable hydrogels: Drug-delivery platforms for treatment of chronic ophthalmic diseases affecting the back of the eye
    (International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2024) Aragón Navas, Alba; López-Cano, José Javier; Johnson, Melissa; A, Sigen; Vicario De La Torre, Marta; Andrés Guerrero, Vanesa; Tai, Hongyun; Wang, Wenxin; Bravo Osuna, Irene; Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío
    This paper aims to develop smart hydrogels based on functionalized hyaluronic acid (HA) and PLGA-PEG-PLGA (PLGA,poly-(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid); PEG,polyethylene glycol) for use as intraocular drug-delivery platforms. Anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone-phosphate (0.2 %w/v) was the drug selected to load on the hydrogels. Initially, different ratios of HA-aldehyde (HA-CHO) and thiolated-HA (HA-SH) were assayed, selecting as optimal concentrations 2 and 3 % (w/v), respectively. Optimized HA hydrogel formulations presented fast degradation (8 days) and drug release (91.46 ± 3.80 % in 24 h), thus being suitable for short-term intravitreal treatments. Different technology-based strategies were adopted to accelerate PLGA-PEG-PLGA water solubility, e.g. substituting PEG1500 in synthesis for higher molecular weight PEG3000 or adding cryopreserving substances to the buffer dissolution. PEG1500 was chosen to continue optimization and the final PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogels (PPP1500) were dissolved in trehalose or mannitol carbonate buffer. These presented more sustained release (71.77 ± 1.59 % and 73.41 ± 0.83 % in 24 h, respectively) and slower degradation (>14 days). In vitro cytotoxicity studies in the retinal-pigmented epithelial cell line (RPE-1) demonstrated good tolerance (viability values > 90 %). PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogels are proposed as suitable candidates for long-term intravitreal treatments. Preliminary wound healing studies with PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogels suggested faster proliferation at 8 h than controls.
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    Pharmaceuticalmicroscale and nanoscale approaches for efficient treatment of ocular diseases
    (Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2016) Bravo Osuna, Irene; Andrés Guerrero, Vanesa; Pastoriza Abal, María Pilar; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa; Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío
    Efficient treatment of ocular diseases can be achieved thanks to the proper use of ophthalmic formulations based on emerging pharmaceutical approaches. Among them, microtechnology and nanotechnology strategies are of great interest in the development of novel drug delivery systems to be used for ocular therapy. The location of the target site in the eye as well as the ophthalmic disease will determine the route of administration (topical, intraocular, periocular, and suprachoroidal administration) and the most adequate device. In this review, we discuss the use of colloidal pharmaceutical systems (nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, dendrimers, and microemulsions), microparticles (microcapsules and microspheres), and hybrid systems (combination of different strategies) in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Emphasis has been placed in the therapeutic significance of each drug delivery system for clinical translation.
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    Gelatin Nanoparticles-HPMC Hybrid System for Effective Ocular Topical Administration of Antihypertensive Agents
    (Pharmaceutics, 2020) Esteban Pérez, Sergio; Andrés-Guerrero, Vanessa; López Cano, José Javier; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa; Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío; Bravo Osuna, Irene
    The increment in ocular drug bioavailability after topical administration is one of the main challenges in pharmaceutical technology. For several years, different strategies based on nanotechnology, hydrogels or implants have been evaluated. Nowadays, the tolerance of ophthalmic preparations has become a critical issue and it is essential to the use of well tolerated excipients. In the present work, we have explored the potential of gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) loaded with timolol maleate (TM), a beta-adrenergic blocker widely used in the clinic for glaucoma treatment and a hybrid system of TM-GNPs included in a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) viscous solution. The TM- loaded nanoparticles (mean particle size of 193 ± 20 nm and drug loading of 0.291 ± 0.019 mg TM/mg GNPs) were well tolerated both in vitro (human corneal cells) and in vivo. The in vivo efficacy studies performed in normotensive rabbits demonstrated that these gelatin nanoparticles were able to achieve the same hypotensive effect as a marketed formulation (0.5% TM) containing a 5-fold lower concentration of the drug. When comparing commercial and TM GNPs formulations with the same TM dose, nanoparticles generated an increased efficacy with a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) (from 21% to 30%) and an augmentation of 1.7-fold in the area under the curve (AUC)(0–12h). On the other hand, the combination of timolol-loaded nanoparticles (TM 0.1%) and the viscous polymer HPMC 0.3%, statistically improved the IOP reduction up to 30% (4.65 mmHg) accompanied by a faster time of maximum effect (tmax = 1 h). Furthermore, the hypotensive effect was extended for four additional hours, reaching a pharmacological activity that lasted 12 h after a single instillation of this combination, and leading to an AUC(0 12h) 2.5-fold higher than the one observed for the marketed formulation. According to the data presented in this work, the use of hybrid systems that combine well tolerated gelatin nanoparticles and a viscous agent could be a promising alternative in the management of high intraocular pressure in glaucoma.
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    Nano and microtechnologies for ophthalmic administration. An overview
    (Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2013) Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío; Vicario De La Torre, Marta; Andrés-Guerrero, Vanessa; Barbosa-Alfaro, Deyanira; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa; Bravo Osuna, Irene
    Ocular drug delivery is one of the most challenging fields of pharmaceutical research. They are generally employed to overcome the static (different layers of cornea, sclera, and retina including blood aqueous and blood-retinal barriers) and dynamic barriers (choroidal and conjunctival blood flow, lymphatic clearance, and tear dilution) of the eye. Ophthalmic formulations must be sterile, and the biomaterials used in the preparation of pharmaceutical systems completely compatible and extremely well tolerated by ocular tissues. The location of the target tissue in the eye will determine the route of administration. Ophthalmic administration systems are intended for topical, intraocular and periocular administration. In this review we describe the main pharmaceutical nano- and microsystems currently under study to administrate drugs in the eye, covering microparticles, nanoparticles, liposomes, microemulsions, niosomes and dendrimers. We have performed the corresponding revision of the published scientific literature always emphasizing the technological aspects. The review discusses also the biomaterials used in the preparation of the nano and microsystems of ophthalmic drug delivery, fabrication techniques, therapeutic significances, and future possibilities in the field.
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    The potential of using biodegradable microspheres in retinal diseases and other intraocular pathologies
    (Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, 2014) Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío; Bravo Osuna, Irene; Andrés-Guerrero, Vanessa; Vicario De La Torre, Marta; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa
    Pathologies affecting the posterior segment are one of the major causes of blindness in developed countries and are becoming more prevalent due to the increase in society longevity. Sucessful therapy of diseases affecting the back of the eye requires effective concentrations of the active substance mantained during a long period of time in the intraocular target site. Treatment of vitreoretinal diseases often include repeated intravitreous injections that are associated with adverse effects. Local administration of biodegradable microspheres offers an excellent alternative to multiple administrations, as they are able to deliver the therapeutic molecule in a controlled fashion. Furthermore, injection of microparticles is performed without the need for surgical procedures. As most of the retinal diseases are multifactorial, microspheres result especially promising because they can be loaded with more than one active substance and complemented with the inclusion of additives with pharmacological properties. Personalized therapy can be easily achieved by changing the amount of administered microspheres. Contrary to non-biodegradable devices, biodegradable PLA and PLGA microspheres disappear from the site of administration after delivering the drug. Furthermore, microspheres prepared from these mentioned biomaterials are well tolerated after periocular and intravitreal injections in animals and humans. After injection, PLA and PLGA microspheres suffer aggregation behaving like an implant. Biodegradable microspheres are potential tools in regenerative medicine for retinal repair. According to the reported results, presumably a variety of microparticulate formulations for different ophthalmic therapeutic uses will be available in the clinical practice in the near future.
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    Novel water-soluble mucoadhesive carbosilane dendrimers for ocular administration
    (Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2016) Bravo Osuna, Irene; Vicario De La Torre, Marta; Andrés Guerrero, Vanesa; Sánchez Nieves, Javier; Guzmán Navarro, Manuel; Matad, F. Javier De La; Gómez Aspe, Rafael; Heras Polo, Beatriz De Las; Argüesoh, Pablo; Poncheli, Gilles; Herrero Vanrell, María Del Rocío; Molina Martínez, Irene Teresa
    Purpose: To determine the potential use of water-soluble anionic and cationic carbosilane dendrimers (Generations 1-3) as mucoadhesive polymers in eyedrop formulations. Methods: Cationic carbosilane dendrimers decorated with ammonium –NH3 + groups were prepared by hydrosylilation of Boc-protected allylamine and followed by deprotection with HCl. Anionic carbosilane dendrimers with terminal carboxylate groups were also employed in this study. In vitro and in vivo tolerance studies were performed in human ocular epithelial cell lines and rabbit eyes respectively. The interaction of dendrimers with transmembrane ocular mucins was evaluated with a surface biosensor. As proof of concept, the hypotensive effect of a carbosilane dendrimer eyedrop formulation containing acetazolamide (ACZ), a poorly water-soluble drug with limited ocular penetration, was tested after instillation in normotensive rabbits. Results: The methodology used to synthesize cationic dendrimers avoids the difficulty of obtaining neutral –NH2 dendrimers that require harsher reaction conditions and also present high aggregation tendency. Tolerance studies demonstrated that both prototypes of water-soluble anionic and cationic carbosilane dendrimers were well tolerated in a range of concentrations between 5 and 10 μM. Permanent interactions between cationic carbosilane dendrimers and ocular mucins were observed using biosensor assays, predominantly for the generation-three (G3) dendrimer. An eyedrop formulation containing G3 cationic carbosilane dendrimers (5 μM) and ACZ (0.07%) (289.4 mOsm; 5.6 pH; 41.7 mN/m) induced a rapid (onset time 1 h) and extended (up to 7 h) hypotensive effect, and led to a significant increment in the efficacy determined by AUC0 8h and maximal intraocular pressure reduction. Conclusion: This work takes advantage of the high-affinity interaction between cationic carbosilane dendrimers and ocular transmembrane mucins, as well as the tensioactive behavior observed for these polymers. Our results indicate that low amounts of cationic carbosilane dendrimers are well tolerated and able to improve the hypotensive effect of an acetazolamide solution. Our results suggest that carbosilane dendrimers can be used in a safe range of concentrations to enhance the bioavailability of drugs topically administered in the eye.