82316 - Pharmaceutical Nano and Micro-Carriers with Practical Laboratory

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Barbara Luppi
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: CHIM/09
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (cod. 8519)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have theorethical and practical skills on the use of formulation technologies to produce carriers for biological drugs. In particular, students will be able to: - describe the different micro and nano carriers; describe and use of the different technological approches for the production of the carriers; - show the different release mechanisms of biological drugs from the carriers; show the different targeting strategies used for improving drug bioavailability.

Course contents

Biopharmaceutical, clinical and industrial goals for the development of new carriers for biological drugs. Formulation of injectable solution of biological drugs: problems and alternative routes of administration. Modified release carriers. Nano and micro carriers one-block carriers, core-shell carriers, vesicular carriers, supramolecular carriers - micelles): type and characteristics. Technological approaches and excipients used for the preparation of the different carriers. Main strategies of kinetic and spatial control for drug release.

The practice laboratory will deal with:

- preparation of nano and micro carriers by means of the following techniques: «solvent evaporation», «solvent extraction», «thermal crosslinking», «phase separation», «complex coacervation»

-microencapsulation of drug and cells by means of «spray-drying» and «extrusion/coacervation»

- preparation of vesicular carriers by means of «hydration of dry lipid film» and «ethanol injection»

- evaluation of the encapsulation efficiency of the carriers

- evaluation of the enhacing effect of vesicular systems on drug permeation trough biological membranes: use of Franz diffusion cells.

Readings/Bibliography

Yvonne Perre, Thiomas Rades, Pharmaceutics – Drug Delivery and Targeting, 2010, Pharmaceutical Press, Lodon

Teaching methods

Theoretical lectures (4 cfu - 32 hours) and practical laboratory (2 cfu - 24 hours).

Assessment methods

Multiple choice tests.

Teaching tools

Insegnamenti online.

Office hours

See the website of Barbara Luppi