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

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.