Inflammation-Targeted Nanomedicines for the Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Cancer

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 511

Special Issue Editors

1. IUCS—Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde, CESPU, Avenida Central de Gandra, 1317, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
2. UNIPRO—Unidade de Investigação em Patologia e Reabilitação Oral, Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (IUCS-CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
3. i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: drug delivery; inflammatory bowel disease; mucosal drug delivery; mucus penetrating nanoparticles; nanomedicine; smart nanosystems

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Guest Editor
i3S–Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Interests: tumor microenvironment; immune modulation; nanomedicine; cancer therapy; biomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic inflammation is a key driver of numerous debilitating conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic respiratory disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it plays a critical role in the development and progression of various cancers. The global incidence of chronic inflammatory disorders is rising, driven by increased life expectancy and population ageing as well as societal development and the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Furthermore, the large socio-economic impact of chronic inflammation-driven disorders carries significant implications for both patients and society, demanding novel and comprehensive strategies to mitigate the consequences of chronic inflammation. Recent advances in nanomedicine have enabled the development of targeted, sustained, and responsive therapeutic platforms with the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional treatments. This Pharmaceutics Special Issue is dedicated to exploring nanotechnology-based delivery systems targeting the inflammatory niche that characterizes chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer.

As Guest Editors, we would like to encourage colleagues to submit their research work in the format of full papers or pertinent reviews, from diverse fields such as immunology, oncology, pharmaceutical sciences, nanomedicine and regenerative medicine, to develop innovative research that advances the clinical translation of next-generation therapies for chronic inflammatory disorders and cancer. We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Rute Nunes
Dr. Flávia Castro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • atherosclerosis
  • cancer
  • chronic inflammation
  • chronic respiratory diseases
  • diabetes
  • immunomodulation
  • inflammation-responsive drug delivery systems
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • multiple sclerosis
  • nanomedicine
  • novel biomaterials
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • targeted drug delivery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 4625 KB  
Article
Formulation, Optimization, and Evaluation of Transferosomes Co-Loaded with Methotrexate and Sorafenib for Anti-Arthritic Activity
by Muhammad Adnan, Lateef Ahmad, Muhammad Junaid Dar, Humzah Jamshaid, Muhammad Noman and Muhammad Faheem
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(9), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17091196 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Purpose: This study was designed to develop a nanoparticle-based methotrexate (MTX) and sorafenib (SRF)-loaded transferosome (MTX-SRF-TFS) for effective management of arthritis through the transdermal route. Methods: For the preparation of MTX-SRF-TFS, the thin-film hydration technique was selected and optimized using Box–Behnken Design. The [...] Read more.
Purpose: This study was designed to develop a nanoparticle-based methotrexate (MTX) and sorafenib (SRF)-loaded transferosome (MTX-SRF-TFS) for effective management of arthritis through the transdermal route. Methods: For the preparation of MTX-SRF-TFS, the thin-film hydration technique was selected and optimized using Box–Behnken Design. The particle size of the nanoparticles was determined using a Malvern Zeta sizer and electron microscopy. An in vivo skin retention and penetration study was also conducted to evaluate the designed delivery system. Furthermore, the therapeutic response of MTX-SRF-TFS was determined using the CFA-induced mouse model. Results: The optimized MTX-SRF-TFS formulation (F4), having an average particle size (PS) of 162.20 ± 2.89 nm and percent entrapment efficiency (%EE) of MTX and SRF of 92.16 ± 4.95 and 81.54 ± 3.23, respectively, was selected for further assessment. Due to the deformable nature of MTX-SRF-TFS, MTX and SRF penetrate more deeply into the cutaneous layers, exhibiting an enhanced transdermal effect, as shown by the results of ex vivo skin permeation and retention studies. Furthermore, in vivo anti-arthritic studies have shown the superior pharmacodynamic response of MTX and SRF when incorporated into transferosomes, as it caused a marked reduction in arthritic score and paw diameter in CFA-induced arthritis in BALB/c mice. Histopathology analysis and X-ray radiography also confirmed the findings that MTX-SRF-TFS has improved anti-arthritic response in contrast to plain MTX-SRF gel. Conclusions: The MTX-SRF-TFS is highly effective in managing CFA-induced arthritis, and the designed delivery system should be further evaluated on pharmacokinetic grounds to progress towards clinical studies. Full article
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