Development of precisely engineered albendazole nanocrystals with fine- tuned surface characteristics for potential selective drug delivery

Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease caused by filarial microscopic worms which currently endangers 657 million people in 39 countries. Adult worms form reservoirs within the lymphatic vessels of an infected individual compromising the lymphatic system’s secondary function to maintain fluid balance within the body. Individuals infected with LF not only experience constant physical pain, but are emotionally and economically impacted, rejected from communities and excluded from job opportunities, due to social sigma. The barriers of existing treatment include ineffective targeting of filarial lymphatic nests, due to the niche anatomical location, as well as pharmacokinetic issues such as low dissolution, erratic gastrointestinal uptake, and rapid clearance of ABZ, leading to delivery of sub-therapeutic concentrations. Formulation of ABZ nanocrystals (NCs) is a promising approach to enhance the biopharmaceutical properties of ABZ by increasing the saturation solubility and rate of dissolution while providing sustained delivery. Microarray patches (MAPs) are a painless, self-applicable, form of transdermal drug delivery, which circumvents the stratum corneum (SC) in a minimally invasive manner and avoids first-pass metabolism. Utilisation of both nanotechnology and MAPs, has previously shown successful accumulation of drug within the lymphatic system thus, employment of both highly loaded NCs and MAPs provide an encouraging approach for the treatment of LF.

Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2027.

Date of Award	Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Alejandro Paredes (Supervisor) & Ryan Donnelly (Supervisor)