Cyclodextrin-Gemini Surfactant Nanoparticles for Melanoma

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cancer therapies, particularly for melanoma, face challenges such as limited specificity, high toxicity, and chemoresistance, leading to inefficiencies and high treatment costs, with a lack of effective non-invasive treatments for in-transit metastatic melanoma.

Innovation Solution

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising a cyclodextrin moiety conjugated with a gemini surfactant through a linker, forming nanoparticles that facilitate the topical delivery of therapeutic agents, enhancing skin penetration and overcoming drug resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional cancer therapies are used, then cancer treatment is provided, but toxicity and chemoresistance increase while specificity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovespecificityVSAvoidtoxicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery agent is segmented into distinct functional modules: a cyclodextrin moiety for drug complexation, a linker moiety for connectivity, and a gemini surfactant moiety for membrane interaction. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve targeted delivery with reduced toxicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cyclodextrin-gemini surfactant conjugate acts as an intermediary carrier that mediates between the therapeutic agent and the target cell membrane. It complexes with the drug and facilitates its delivery across the skin barrier, reducing direct exposure of healthy tissues to toxic drugs while maintaining efficacy against cancer cells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If conventional cancer therapies are used, then cancer treatment is provided, but treatment cost increases while efficacy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveefficacyVSAvoidtreatment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery agent serves multiple functions simultaneously: it complexes with therapeutic agents, facilitates skin penetration, enhances drug delivery to target cells, and reduces chemoresistance. This multi-functionality consolidates multiple treatment requirements into a single agent, potentially reducing overall treatment cost and improving efficacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If topical delivery is used, then non-invasive treatment is achieved, but skin penetration is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenon-invasive deliveryVSAvoidskin penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The gemini surfactant component changes the physical-chemical parameters of the delivery system by interacting with skin membrane structures. The amphiphilic nature of the gemini surfactant allows it to modulate membrane fluidity and permeability, enabling enhanced penetration of complexed drugs through the skin barrier while maintaining non-invasive topical application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If simple delivery agents are used, then manufacturing is easy, but drug delivery efficiency is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoiddelivery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery agent is a composite molecule combining cyclodextrin and gemini surfactant components linked by a connector. This composite structure integrates the drug-complexing capability of cyclodextrin with the membrane-interacting properties of gemini surfactants, achieving enhanced delivery efficiency while maintaining reasonable manufacturing simplicity through modular synthesis approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The cyclodextrin-gemini surfactant nanoparticles improve the delivery of therapeutic agents, reducing toxicity and increasing efficacy by facilitating skin penetration and overcoming drug resistance, offering a potentially more effective and less invasive treatment for melanoma.

Implementation Method 1

facilitating skin penetration and overcoming drug resistance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

the delivery agent complexes with the therapeutic agent

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInclusion complex: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9168306B2Drug delivery agents comprising cyclodextrin covalently linked to a gemini surfactant, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN

AI summary

This disclosure relates to cyclodextrin-based drug delivery agents that comprise a cyclodextrin moiety covalently linked to a moiety of a gemini surfactant. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the drug delivery agent and a therapeutic agent are also disclosed.