Microfluidic paclitaxel-loaded lipid nanoparticle formulations for chemotherapy

Nanoparticle technology has promising effects on multiple therapeutic purposes, particularly in controlling drug delivery as Drug Delivery System. The unique properties of nanoparticles significantly enhance drug delivery, efficiency, and toxicity. For cancer therapy, controlling chemotherapy delivery can increase the drug concentration in the desired locations, improve drug efficacy, and limit drug toxicity. Liposomes are used in this project to encapsulate paclitaxel due to their ability to carry hydrophobic molecules, low toxicity, and prolonged half-life. Among the multiple liposome preparation methods, microfluidic technology was used to produce liposomes. Microfluidics excels in other conventional methods by offering a high-level control of the process's parameters, which help control particle size, size distribution, and physiochemical properties. This project aims to produce paclitaxel-loaded liposomes with a diameter below 200 nm with low polydispersity index, high homogeneity, and good stability. Different lipid types (DMPC, DPPC, DSPC, and DOPC) were used with different ratios to investigate their impact on empty liposome formulation. Alongside changing the different microfluidic parameters including the total flow ratio and flow rate ratio to study their effects on liposomes' physiochemical properties. The obtained formulations were tested to analyse different physiochemical properties (DLS, FTIR) and stability studies. DMPC and DPPC are determined to study their encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release of paclitaxel at total flow rate 1 ml min−1 and 1:4 flow rate ratio. The paclitaxel-loaded liposomes are subjected to the same physiochemical characteristics and stability study. Promising encapsulation efficiency was reported from both DPPC and DMPC, and sustained drug release was observed.