ROS-Responsive Polymeric Dexamethasone Prodrug for Targeted Anti-Inflammatory Therapy

Britta Diesel – Dr. rer. nat, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Saarland University; Alexandra Kiemer – Prof. Dr., Pharmaceutical Biology, Saarland University; Sangeun Lee – Jun.Prof.Dr, Biopharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology - Pharmaceutical Materials and Processing, Saarland University

Poster Presenter(s)

Thu Thi Nguyen, PhD student

Full time
Saarland University
Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

Introduction:

Dexamethasone (DXM) is one of the most widely prescribed glucocorticoids, used worldwide as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agent to treat various diseases [1]. However, conventional DXM formulations face challenges such as systemic toxicity and poor targeting [2]. Our study presents a novel responsive nanoplatform that leverages elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels at inflammatory sites for targeted and controlled delivery of DXM. This ROS-responsive prodrug selectively releases DXM in inflamed tissues, minimizing off-target effects and enhancing its anti-inflammatory efficacy by reducing ROS levels through the carrier's scavenging properties.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the mechanism of ROS-triggered drug release from DXM-DEX.
Interpret ROS-responsive drug release and nanoparticle degradation under inflammatory conditions.
Establish the translational potential of DXM-DEX NPs for targeted anti-inflammatory and co-delivery applications