Rabab Kamel

• Professor
• Head of Department at National Research Centre

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as viable tools in cancer treatment due to their ability to carry a wide range of theranostic activities. This review summarizes different forms of EVs such as exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic bodies, and oncosomes. It also sheds the light onto isolation methodologies, characterization techniques and ther...

Traditional cancer pharmaceutical preparations suffer from many drawbacks, such as their nonselective damage to both tumor and normal cells, as well as their poor solubility and serious adverse effects affecting the patients’ productivity and quality of life. This chapter highlights the benefits of utilizing vesicular systems as carriers for medici...

Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer in nature, is derived from various sources. The production of pharmaceutical textiles based on cellulose represents a growing sector. In medicated textiles, textile and pharmaceutical sciences are integrated to develop new healthcare approaches aiming to improve patient compliance. Through the possibility of...

Injectable in-situ forming hydrogel scaffolds (IHS) were prepared using TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (TONFC) originating from sugarcane bagasse. TONFC (0.5%w/w) was prepared and characterized, then various concentrations of poloxamer 407 (P407) were added to prepare the thermo-responsive hydrogels. Two sources of calcium; Fujicalin® (DC...

Agricultural crops are an important source of numerous types of agro-wastes that can be recycled to be used as a starting material for versatile products, which can create new channels of economic and industrial development. This chapter is focused on the use of the biopolymer, Cellulose, in the pharmaceutical field. Being the most abundant biomass...

The number of patients suffering from nervous system (NS) diseases is growing significantly leading to the elevation of the socioeconomic burden. Although significant efforts have been recorded for the treatment of such disorders, limited success is reached due to the complex-specific anatomy of the NS and the blood–brain barrier (BBB) which is the...

Sugarcane bagasse-derived nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), a type of cellulose with a fibrous structure, is potentially used in the pharmaceutical field. Regeneration of this cellulose using a green process offers a more accessible and less ordered cellulose II structure (amorphous cellulose; AmC). Furthermore, the preparation of cross-linked cellu...

β-Sitosterol was isolated from Senecio fulgens and was used as a "heart-friendly˝ alternative to cholesterol to prepare a novel non-phospholipid liposomal nano-carrier "Phyto-Sterosomes". Different saturated fatty acids (Lauric, Stearic, and Palmitic acids) were used in different ratios with β-sitosterol (1:2 and 1:3) to prepare the Phyto-Sterosome...

The GC-MS analysis of tea tree oil (TTO) revealed 38 volatile components with sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (43.56%) and alcohols (41.03%) as major detected classes. TTO efficacy is masked by its hydrophobicity; nanoencapsulation can address this drawback. The results showed that TTO-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN1), composed of glyceryl monost...

The pharmaceutical application of biomaterials has attained a great success. Rapid wound healing is an important goal for many researchers. Hence, this work deals with the development of nanocellulose crystals/lipid nanogels loaded with ofloxacin (OFX) to promote skin repair while inhibiting bacterial infection. Ofloxacin-loaded hybridized nanocell...

This study tackles the development of morin hydrate loaded Phyto-Emulsomes (MH-EMs) using β-sitosterol as a ‘heart-friendly’ alternative to cholesterol for curing leukemia. β-sitosterol was isolated from the aerial parts of C. pallescens Delile (Compositae). Then, Phyto-Emulsomes were prepared using different ratios of glyceryl monostearate, phosph...

β-Sitosterol glucoside (SG), isolated from Senecio petasitis (Family Asteraceae), was loaded in self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) in a trial to enhance its solubility and biological effect. Various co-surfactants were tested to prepare a successful SEDDS. The selected SG-loaded SEDDS had a droplet size of 134 ± 15.2 nm with a homog...

A novel self-assembled lecithin-based cationic nanocarrier (LeciPlex) doped with chitosan was prepared to improve Resveratrol solubility and anticancer efficacy. Using on a machine learning method based on regression analysis, LP5 (composed of lecithin, Peceol® and chitosan) was selected as the optimized one. This formula was spherical-shaped with...

Recycling of agro-wastes presents a great economic and ecologic value. In this study, TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (TONFC) originating from sugarcane bagasse pulp was exploited in regenerative medicine. TONFC in combination with glucosamine HCl (G) were used to prepare a 3D aerogel implant loaded with rosuvastatin as an integrative appr...

Kamel R, El-Wakil NA, Elkasabgy NA. Int J Nanomedicine. 2021;16:6807–6824. The Editor and Publisher of the International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding alleged image manipulation relating to Figure 8. The authors immediately responded to our queries and confirmed that the image had inde...

Spray-dried cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were investigated as a potential stabilizer for the preparation of nanoemulsion gels (nanoemulgels) loaded with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride to act as dual-role gels capable of stimulating the tissue regeneration as well as inhibition of microbial growth. The selected nanoemulgel (NEG/2) which was composed of...

Mucilage is a soluble dietary fiber used as a food additive to give foods a firmer texture, aside from its many health benefits and pharmacological properties. It is a polysaccharide in nature, composed of large molecules of sugars and uronic acid moieties. The extraction of mucilage is achieved from a wide variety of plant parts, including rhizome...

In this study, Lepidium sativum oil was used as the oily component of the prepared 3D nano-oleogels (NO) as well as the active ingredient. Different gelators were tested; all the formulae containing Labrafac™ Lipophile WL1349 had a jellified consistency at room temperature. NO1 consisted of Labrafac-Lipophile WL1349:Tween80 (4:1) retained its consi...

Tannic acid is a chief gallo-tannin belonging to the hydrolysable tannins extracted from gall nuts and other plant sources. A myriad of pharmaceutical and biological applications in the medical field has been well recognized to tannic acid. Among these effects, potential anticancer activities against several solid malignancies such as liver, breast...

Cellulose was and still is the most abundant biopolymer generated from all plant fibers including agricultural wastes. Using this waste as a starting material in the production of new products is a field of great interest. The demand for renewable and available resources in combination with advanced technologies is a necessity to develop new genera...

The use of (PEG)-grafted materials has a positive impact on drug delivery. In this study we designed PEGylated lipid nanocarriers (PLN) loaded with curcumin (Cur) to target skin cancer by photodynamic therapy. Cur is a polyphenolic compound having vast biological effects masked due to its low aqueous solubility. PLN were prepared using Tefose 1500...

The chemical constituents of Allium sativum (Garlic) oil were investigated using GC/Ms technique after silylation, and revealed the presence of several fatty acids and their esters. The most dominant was 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid (linoleic acid), a precursor of arachidonic acid, which is essential for brain development. Garlic oil-loaded chitosan...

This study intended to design novel nanofibrillated cellulose/cyclodextrin-based 3D scaffolds loaded with raloxifene hydrochloride for bone regeneration. The scaffolds were prepared using two different types of cyclodextrins namely; beta-cyclodextrin and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin. The prepared scaffolds were evaluated by characterizing their porosit...

Arthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease decreasing the patient's quality of life. Mixed micellar system (MM) was exploited as a nanotechnology platform suitable for the encapsulation of the water-insoluble drug, Resveratrol (RES). MM were prepared using different ratios of poloxamer 188 (P188) and poloxamer 407 (P407), and then subjected...

Fungal infections are a serious and growing public health problem. Invasive fungal infections can increase the rate of morbidity and mortality of immune‐compromised patients. Nowadays, there are a great number of antifungal agents; however, the control of fungal diseases is unsatisfactory due to lack of treatment efficiency, low drug biovailability...

This study was aiming to improve the effect of the water insoluble drug, Resveratrol, by encapsulating it in surfactant-based elastic vesicles (SLs). SLs were prepared by thin film hydration method using different ratios of Span 60 (S60) and Edge activators (EAs). The prepared spanlastics (SLs) were subjected to full in-vitro evaluation. All the SL...

Objective: Coconut oil (CO) was used in combination with metronidazole in order to prepare vaginal pessaries ameliorating the use, delivery and efficacy of the anti-mycotic treatment.Methods: To prepare the metronidazole–loaded pessaries, different lipids, namely: suppocire NA15 (SNA), suppocire NAIS10 (SIS), suppocire AM (SAM) and ovucire WL 2944...

Citalopram HCl (CH) is one of the few drugs which can be used safely in childhood psychiatric disorders. This study was focused on the preparation of interpenetrating polyelectrolytes nano-complexes (IPNC) to transform the hydrophilic carbohydrate polymers into an insoluble form. The IPNCs were loaded with CH to sustain its effect. The IPNC2 (compo...

In this study, Compritol ATO-based Resveratrol colloidal carriers (CCCs) were prepared. In most formulae, the use of a binary-mixture of surfactants improved the physicochemical properties. CCC6 (containing P407/P188 as bi-surfactants) attained the highest drug loading, release efficiency during 24 hr and occlusive effect for 48 hr; in addition to,...

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a developed sodium alginate and polyvinylpyrrolidone K-25 (PVP K-25) polymeric wafer for the co-delivery of ketorolac and lidocaine to soft tissues for healing and pain control following gingivectomy. Nine ketorolac/lidocaine lyophilized wafers were formulated and assessed for their hydrat...

To avoid frequent drug administration, PLGA-based monolithic filament-shaped implants were prepared. In this study, the effect of different formulation variables was studied, namely: type of PLGA (PLGA 502 and PLGA 503), type of drug (the lipophilic Prednisolone acetate, PA and the hydrophilic Propranolol Hydrochloride, PH) and drug loading (10 and...

The advantages of multiparticulate carriers over monolithic one are well-known. In this study, mucoadhesive micropellets (MPs) composed of Metronidazole (MTZ)-Polysaccharide(s) polyelectrolytes complexes were prepared to be used as a localized vaginal healthcare product. The prepared all-natural MPs were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy as wel...

Solar irradiation induces skin inflammatory processes causing deleterious effects like premature ageing. In this study, the designed lipoid colloidal carrier (LCC) was loaded with Diosmin in combination with different essential oils, to be used as a topical photo-protective preparation. To investigate the ability of the essential oils to potentiate...

Osteoarthritis is a propagated debilitating condition affecting patients' quality of life. Intra-articular injection approach was investigated as a localized treatment strategy providing: site-specific delivery, decreased side effects and, increased patient compliance. A 3² full factorial experimental design was employed to prepare the indomethacin...

This study is focused on the design of gastro-retentive drug delivery system composed of hollow microspheres (microballoons) for the sustained delivery of cinnarizine (CIN). The microballoons (MBs) were prepared by the emulsion solvent diffusion method using cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) as the hosting polymer and absolute ethanol (ETH) and dich...

The aim of this study was to formulate a microparticulate delivery system to deliver cinnarizine (CIN) directly to its site of absorption to overcome its low oral bioavailability. Enteric microparticles were prepared by varying ratios of pH-sensitive polymers (Eudragit L100 and Eudragit S100). A full 3(3) factorial experimental design was adopted t...

Our objective was to prepare nanoparticulate system using a simple yet attractive innovated method as an ophthalmic delivery system for fluocinolone acetonide to improve its ocular bioavailability. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were prepared by adopting thin film hydration method using PLGA/poloxamer 407 in weight ratios of 1:5...

Background Recently, much attention has been paid to the application of nanoemulsions (NEs) as drug delivery systems. Besides their high solubilization capacity, NEs are powerful carrier systems because of their thermodynamic stability, ease of preparation, and high absorption rates. Aim The present work focuses on the design of stable and dilutabl...

Degradable polymer multiparticulate drug delivery overcomes many conventional systems shortcomings. To evaluate, using a multi-varied experimental design, the influence of the selected variables on the physicochemical properties of designed formulae to prepare sustained-release mucoadhesive fluconazole vaginal microspheres for the localized treatme...

Poor aqueous solubility of chemical entities presents a major challenge to modern drug delivery, because of their low bioavailability. Our aim was to prepare and evaluate a suitable solid self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SSEDDS) as a potential carrier for Rutin. After screening of various vehicles (surfactants, co-surfactants and oils) and se...

Context: Reduction of injection frequency as well as localization of drug absorption in the injection site are important requirements in epidural pain treatment. Purpose: Our objective is to explore the production feasibility of controlled release thermoresponsive spray-dried tramadol HCl (TmH) nanospheres for localized epidural injection. Methods:...

Anorectal diseases, such as hemorrhoids, are bothersome benign conditions that warrant special attention. The design of an optimized vesicular system for localized rectal delivery can be a suitable conservative treatment. The feasibility of preparing proniosomes using different types of Gelucires®, in combination with Span(®) 60 as binary mixtures...

Drug administration via mucosal membranes, including the vaginal, has the advantage of by passing the hepatogastrointestinal first pass metabolism associated with oral administration. Metronidazole suppositories were prepared using different suppository bases viz., water soluble bases (PEGs and gelatin) emulsion and fatty bases. The physicochemical...

Treatment of chronic pain is complicated by the evidence that abuse of prescription opioids is rising; therefore, in many cases, chronic pain remains undertreated. Tramadol is an atypical central analgesic with a mixed mechanism of action offering many advantages over conventional opioids. We exploited the nonopioid action of tramadol, by bypassing...

Context: Nanoparticulate systems are new tools that promise a revolution in the field of drug delivery. Among their numerous benefits, polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) have shown to provide a barrier to drug release. Objective: In this study, PECs, in the form of self-assembled polymeric nanogels, have been studied as potential drug carriers of...

Development of efficient ocular delivery nanosystems remains a major challenge to achieve sustained therapeutic effect. The purpose of this work was to develop chitosan nanoparticles using sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) as polyanionic crosslinker and to investigate the potential of using those nanostructures as ocular drug delivery syste...

This study is an extrapolation of our previous one (part I) concerned with the formulation and physicochemical evaluation of a novel, simple, monolayer, easy-to-use, cost-effective, and aesthetically acceptable bioadhesive transdermal patch for tramadol hydrochloride. The current work is focused on bioadhesion, skin tolerability, and pharmacodynami...

Management of moderate or severe chronic pain conditions is the burden of clinicians dealing with patients trying to improve their quality of life and diminish their suffering. Although not a new opioid, tramadol has been recently rediscovered and widely used; this may be due to its favorable chronic safety and dependence profiles together with its...

Purpose: Aspirin, the most widely drug used in the world, has been and will remain the standard reference for long-term treatment of platelet hyperactivity. Aspirin induces a long-lasting functional defect in platelets by permanently inactivating the COX enzyme system. Orally administered aspirin requires high and frequent dosing because it undergo...

Aspirin has become the gold standard to which newer antiplatelet drugs are compared for reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases, while keeping low cost. Oral aspirin has a repertoire of gastrointestinal side effects even at low doses and requires high frequent dosing because it undergoes extensive presystemic metabolism. Transdermal delivery offe...