2026-10-11T23:01:45Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32826176 2026-10-01T16:10:18Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Development of nanocrystal-loaded electrospun nanofibres for topical drug delivery Martina Sangalli (24304442) PUREID: 660707662 Nanocrystal topical solubility drug delivery wound healing Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains difficult to treat due to systemic toxicity, high costs and invasive administration of current therapies. Amphotericin B (AmB) is highly active against Leishmania, but its poor aqueous solubility hinders topical delivery. Here we develop a scalable platform in which AmB nanocrystals (NCs) are embedded in electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibre films (AmB-NCs-in-NFs) for local treatment of CL. AmB-NCs (DLS size ≈ 120 nm; PDI ~0.25) were produced by wet media milling (WMM) and showed increased saturation solubility versus coarse drug (≈ 148 vs 65 µg/mL in PBS–SDS 0.1% w/w, 37 °C). Uniform PVA NFs (diameter ~200 nm) were fabricated using a five-needle setup, yielding flexible films with a drug loading of ~122 µg/cm². The fibrous matrix moderated the initial burst and delayed NCs dissolution relative to NCs alone. The system was cytocompatible in THP-1 monocytes and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Ex vivo studies on porcine skin showed higher AmB deposition for AmB-NCs-in-NFs than for control formulations over 24 h, while cellular assays confirmed internalisation of AmB-NCs by THP-1 cells, supporting macrophage targeting. Overall, this NCs-in-NFs approach combines the high drug-loading capacity of NCs with the handling and conformability of nanofibrous dressings, offering a practical, scalable strategy for topical CL therapy. <br><br><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 December 2026.</i> 2026-10-01T16:10:18Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32826176.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Development_of_nanocrystal-loaded_electrospun_nanofibres_for_topical_drug_delivery/32826176 All Rights Reserved Open Access after 2026-12-31