Rockford researchers discover a promising strategy for delivering arthritis drugs
Rockford researchers discover a promising strategy for delivering arthritis drugs Heading link
Researchers at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford have discovered a promising strategy for delivering arthritis drugs more directly, which may eliminate harmful side effects of current therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research was published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.
RA is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes joint damage that can lead to disability and even death. Methotrexate is the standard drug used to treat RA and other forms of inflammatory arthritis, but it can cause significant side effects such as liver dysfunction, increased infections and lung inflammation.
Divya Bijukumar, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the director of the Blazer Foundation of Rockford Nanomedicine Laboratory at the UIC Health Sciences Campus-Rockford who led the study.
“This research focused on the development of a new combination therapy of two different drugs to improve the effectiveness and reduce the toxicity of the standard drug Methotrexate used for arthritis,” explains Dr. Bijukumar.
This study combined Methotrexate with L-sulforaphane, a natural product developed from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli that has a potent anti-inflammatory effect in cancer as well as arthritis. By delivering the drugs through a modified molecule called a dendrimer through the skin instead of through a pill or injection in mice and rats with arthritis, there were fewer side effects and better control of the disease.
“This alternative delivery system for the potential topical administration of RA therapy that overcomes the side effects of the conventional administration routes while delivering different classes of drugs that work together to prevent the disease from advancing could have an impact on the sustained release of drugs, which will reduce frequent dosing and improve the bioavailability of drugs,” says Dr. Bijukumar. “The platform could also enhance the targeted delivery of the drugs with ease of application, thereby enhancing patient compliance.”
The research team also included Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program graduate Edidiong Nkiruka Essien; post-doctoral researchers Neeraja Revi and Vishal Khatri in the Department of Biomedical Sciences; research assistant Songyun Liu of Rush University Medical Center; and Geoffrey Van Thiel, MD, who is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and Surgical Specialties and an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoIllinois.