Over the last decade, scientists have shifted their focus to the development of smart carriers for the delivery of chemotherapeutics in order to overcome the problems associated with traditional chemotherapy, such as poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability, low selectivity and targeting specificity, off-target drug side effects, and damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Nanofiber-based drug delivery systems have recently emerged as a promising drug delivery system in cancer therapy owing to their unique structural and functional properties, including tunable interconnected porosity, a high surface-to-volume ratio associated with high entrapment efficiency and drug loading capacity, and high mass transport properties, which allow for controlled and targeted drug delivery. In addition, they are biocompatible, biodegradable, and capable of surface functionalization, allowing for target-specific delivery and drug release. One of the most common fiber production methods is electrospinning, even though the relatively two-dimensional (2D) tightly packed fiber structures and low production rates have limited its performance. Forcespinning is an alternative spinning technology that generates high-throughput, continuous polymeric nanofibers with 3D structures. Unlike electrospinning, forcespinning generates fibers by centrifugal forces rather than electrostatic forces, resulting in significantly higher fiber production. The functionalization of nanocarriers on nanofibers can result in smart nanofibers with anticancer capabilities that can be activated by external stimuli, such as light. This review addresses current trends and potential applications of light-responsive and dual-stimuli-responsive electro- and forcespun smart nanofibers in cancer therapy, with a particular emphasis on functionalizing nanofiber surfaces and developing nano-in-nanofiber emerging delivery systems for dual-controlled drug release and high-precision tumor targeting. In addition, the progress and prospective diagnostic and therapeutic applications of light-responsive and dual-stimuli-responsive smart nanofibers are discussed in the context of combination cancer therapy.

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Miconazole nitrate (MN) is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent which suffers poor solubility and impermeability to the ocular tissue which limits its use in the treatment of ocular infections especially fungal keratitis, which is considered one of the most prevailing ocular infections. The current study aims to utilize polymeric mixed nano-micelles for the ocular delivery of MN using 33 full factorial design by varying the ratios of Pluronic® P123, Pluronic® F127, and Tetronic® T701 while the monitored responses were particle size, cloud point (CP), encapsulation efficiency (%EE) and %released at 6 hours (%Q6) at pH 7.4. The optimized formula was incorporated with Soluplus® (SP) to further enhance the (%EE) and the resultant formula was assessed in vitro as well as in vivo against C. albicans in treatment of induced ocular candidiasis using rabbits as a model animal. Results revealed that the optimized formula which comprised F127 and P123 in a ratio of (2:1) when incorporated with SP (SP-MPM) resulted in an increase in %EE from 35.12±3.18 to 99.19±7.03 with a particle size of 44.39±2.68nm with a sustained release profile and stability for 3 months at 4±2°C. In vivo results demonstrated the enhanced ability of SP-MPM for treatment of ocular candidiasis with enhanced % inhibition and susceptibility to C. albicans compared to 0.2% MN suspension confirmed with histopathological examination of rabbit’s eyes after 7 days of treatment with the absence of any degenerative effect to the ocular tissue. Thus, it can be concluded that SP-pluronic mixed nano-micelles offer a successful and stable ocular delivery platform for antifungal drug MN ensuring both its safety and efficacy.

Objective: This study aims to prepare and optimize indomethacin freeze-dried sublingual tablets (IND-FDST) by utilizing a quality by design (QbD) approach to achieve rapid drug dissolution and simultaneously bypassing the GIT for better patient tolerability. Methods: A screening study was utilized to determine the most significant factors which the quality attributes, namely disintegration time and % friability. Then an optimization study was conducted using a full response surface design to determine the optimized formula by varying the amount of the matrix-forming polymer (gelatin) and super disintegrant (croscarmellose sodium (CCS)). The variables' effect on the % friability, disintegration time, wetting time, and amount of drug release after 10 min (%Q10) was studied. The optimized formula was tested for compatibility, morphology as well as stability studies under accelerated conditions in addition to the in vivo pharmacodynamics in rats. QbD was adopted by utilizing a screening study to identify the significant formulation factors followed by a response surface optimization study to determine the optimized IND-FDST formulation. Results: Optimized IND-FDST comprised of gelatin/CCS combination in a ratio of 1:1 possessed adequate %friability (0.73±0.03%), disintegration time (25.40±1.21 seconds), wetting time (3.49±0.68 seconds), and % Q10 (100.99±5.29%) as well as good stability under accelerated conditions. IND-FDST also showed significant inhibition of edema, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 release in vivo compared to the oral market product by 70%, 42%, and 65%, respectively. Conclusion: QbD presents a successful approach in the optimization of a successful IND-FDST formula that showed superior in vivo and in vitro characteristics.