Franceline Reynaud

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by dysregulated pulmonary inflammation involving excessive cytokine production and activation of inflammatory cells, including macrophages. In this study, hybrid lipid–polymer nanoparticles (HLNPBud-siRNA) were developed for the co-delivery of budesonide (Bud) and anti-IL-8/CXCL1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), combining glucocorticoid-mediated anti-inflammatory activity with sequence-specific targeting of a neutrophil-recruiting chemokine pathway. The hybrid nanosystem was assembled from Bud-loaded lipid nanoparticles and polyethyleneimine/siRNA polyplexes, and its physicochemical properties, stability, cellular uptake, biocompatibility, and immunomodulatory activity were evaluated. The optimized formulation exhibited a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 50 nm, low polydispersity (PDI < 0.2), a negative surface charge (approximately -25 mV), Bud encapsulation efficiency above 90%, and siRNA complexation efficiency above 95%. The formulation maintained its physicochemical characteristics and cargo association were best preserved during refrigerated storage for up to 60 days. In LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, incorporation of PEI/siRNA polyplexes into the hybrid formulation was associated with improved cellular tolerance compared with the corresponding free polyplexes at intermediate concentrations. HLNPBud-siRNA-associated fluorescence was detected intracellularly, and LPS stimulation significantly influenced the temporal profile of nanoparticle-associated cellular fluorescence. Functionally, HLNPBud-siRNA produced greater CXCL1 suppression than the corresponding Bud- and siRNA-containing controls, with the effect becoming more pronounced at 24 h. A marked delayed reduction in TNF-α was also observed, whereas IL-6 suppression was comparable to that produced by the Bud-containing control. At 24 h, Bliss independence analysis showed that the observed inhibition exceeded the predicted independent effects for CXCL1 and TNF-α, but not for IL-6. Overall, these findings demonstrate a mediator- and time-dependent benefit of Bud and anti-CXCL1 siRNA co-delivery and provide proof-of-concept for HLNPBud-siRNA as a hybrid nanoplatform for combined corticosteroid and siRNA delivery.

A prodrug of budesonide, budesonide palmitate, was synthesized and formulated into nanoparticles by emulsion-evaporation, using a PEGylated lipid, DSPE-mPEG, as the sole excipient. Spherical nanoparticles of about 200 nm were obtained, with prodrug content between 57-73% by weight. To deliver nanoparticles to the lungs as dry powders, Trojan microparticles containing 5%-20% (w/w) of these prodrug-based nanoparticles were formulated for the first time by spray drying. Results show that the fine particle fraction decreases as the nanoparticle percentage increases. The formulation with 5% nanoparticles is optimal for targeting the alveolar region, with an aerodynamic diameter of 1.3 μm, a fine particle fraction of 67%, and an alveolar particle fraction of 41%. These Trojan microparticles appear to be promising carriers for the treatment of respiratory diseases via lung delivery.

(Text in French) Nanomaterials in the food industry: toward a promising future? Nanomaterials constitute a significant driver of research and potential innovation within the agri-food sector. Owing to their distinctive physicochemical properties ‒ such as high specific surface area, enhanced chemical reactivity, and stronger interactions with biomolecules ‒ they offer promising avenues for extending food preservation, improving packaging performance, stabilizing nutrients, and enriching organoleptic attributes. Nevertheless, these advances are accompanied by toxicological and environmental uncertainties, necessitating strict regulatory oversight grounded in nanospecific characterization and risk assessment. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the principal application domains (preservation, packaging, formulation, sensory quality) and the associated scientific and regulatory challenges, emphasizing the need for responsible, transparent, and trust-based innovation.

Delivering adenosine and antioxidants together could serve as an improved approach for the treatment of acute inflammation.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects 0.5–1% of the world population. Current treatments include on one hand non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids (GCs) for treating pain and on the other hand disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs such as methotrexate, Janus kinase inhibitors or biologics such as antibodies targeting mainly cytokine expression. More recently, nucleic acids such as siRNA, miRNA, or anti‐miRNA have shown strong potentialities for the treatment of RA. This review discusses the way nanomedicines can target GCs and nucleic acids to inflammatory sites, increase drug penetration within inflammatory cells, achieve better subcellular distribution and finally protect drugs against degradation. For GCs such a targeting effect would allow the treatment to be more effective at lower doses and to reduce the administration frequency as well as to induce much fewer side‐effects. In the case of nucleic acids, particularly siRNA, knocking down proteins involved in RA, could importantly be facilitated using nanomedicines. Finally, the combination of both siRNA and GCs in the same carrier allowed for the same cell to target both the GCs receptor as well as any other signaling pathway involved in RA. Nanomedicines appear to be very promising for the delivery of conventional and novel drugs in RA therapeutics.This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Nucleic Acid‐Based Structures