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Newly engineered lignin nanocarrier for curcumin delivery to tackle inflammation and limited synovial drug residence in osteoarthritis

Objective

Osteoarthritis (OA) characterized by damage to the articular cartilage and skeletal overgrowth around the joints. OA affecting approximately 8.75 million people in the UK. In the UK, France, and Spain, OA incurs significant annual direct and indirect costs, estimated at up to €7.2 billion and €4.6 billion. Clinical approaches to treating OA include non-pharmacologic methods (lifestyle changes), pharmacologic management (common medications), and surgical interventions. Pharmacologic treatments often have serious side effects over time, including stomach or heart problems. Therefore, it is needed a safe and effective substance with fewer side effects. Curcumin lead to better pain management, improved joint function, diminish inflammation, and a reduced reliance on conventional medications. Intra-articular (IA) injections of curcumin is anti side effects, common, but a major limitation is the short duration that these curcumin remain in the synovial joint, leading to require repeated injections. In this project, I aim to develop an innovative biodegradable nanocarrier, loaded with curcumin, using Gemini surfactants as a smart drug delivery system with slow-release properties specifically designed to address inflammation in osteoarthritis (OA). Unlike currently available commercial products, my nanocarrier is designed to prevent rapid drug clearance from the joints, enhancing drug release at least 100-fold slower than existing options. The key features of my nanocarriers include the creation of spherical nanoparticles with optimized charge to enhance lubrication in the joints, as well as achieving long-term dispersion stability through the use of Gemini surfactants. This formulation with lignin nanoparticles offer high biocompatibility, low inflammatory effects, and minimal systemic side effects. It overcomes the significant limitations of current OA treatments while also reducing environmental impact by using fewer organic solvents and more biodegradable materials.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 276 187,92
Address
WOODHOUSE LANE
LS2 9JT Leeds
United Kingdom

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Region
Yorkshire and the Humber West Yorkshire Leeds
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data