Application of sphingolipid-based nanocarriers in drug delivery: an overview

Abstract

Sphingolipids (SL) are well recognized for their cell signaling through extracellular and intracellular pathways. Based on chemistry different types of SL are biosynthesized in mammalian cells and have specific function in cellular activity. SL has an ampiphilic structure with have hydrophobic body attached to the polar head enables their use as a drug delivery agent in the form of nanocarriers. SL-based liposomes can improve the solubility of lipophilic drugs through host and drug complexes and are more stable than conventional liposomal formulations. Preclinical studies of SL nanocarriers are reported on topical delivery, oral delivery, ocular delivery, chemotherapeutic delivery, cardiovascular delivery and Alzheimer's disease. The commercial challenges and patents related to SL nanoformulations are highlighted in this article.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Article highlights

Sphingolipids structural & biological role

• Sphingolipids (SL) are well recognized for their cell signaling through extracellular and intracellular pathways.

• These regulatory lipids are responsible for angiogenesis regulation, and inflammatory responses and play a major role in metabolic diseases.

Sphingolipids in drug delivery

• They have an amphiphilic structure and hydrophobic bodies attached to polar heads enabling to encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.

• Compared with the ester linkage in phosphatidylcholine SL has a benefit due to amide and ether bonding in structure which makes them more stable than conventional liposomes.

• SL-based nanocarriers are easily prepared by conventional passive, thin film hydration and mechanical dispersion methods.

SL-based nanocarrier activity in preclinical studies

• CER-based nanocarriers have shown efficacy in multiple solid and liquid cancer models.

• The short-chain CER-loaded liposomes for therapy of swelling of the frontal chamber showed therapeutic efficacy against inflammatory response in the eye.

• SL-based nanocarriers have also shown enhanced delivery of drugs to CNS and skin inflammatory diseases.

• SL-based nanofilm stents reduce cardiovascular hypertrophy compared with conventional stents.

SL-based nanocarriers patents & clinical use

• There are multiple patents of SL based nanocarriers used as drug delivery agent for ocular, topical and chemotherapeutics.

Keywords: :

• biosynthesis
• drug delivery
• nanocarrier
• patents
• pre-clinical studies
• sphingolipids

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/20415990.2024.2377066

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Department of Pharmaceutics, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and Sun Pharma Industries Limited, Baroda.

Financial disclosure

The authors have no financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Competing interests disclosure

The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options and expert testimony.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.