The publications of the members of the research group.
2025
Diego Caccavo; Raffaella De Piano; Luca Broegg; Anna Angela Barba; Gaetano Lamberti
Optimization of Nanoliposomes Production using a Coaxial Jet Mixer: a Response Surface Modeling Approach Journal Article
In: Chemical Engineering Transaction, vol. 118, 2025.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: liposome, liposomes, nanoliposome, nanoliposomes delivery systems
@article{Caccavo2025,
title = {Optimization of Nanoliposomes Production using a Coaxial Jet Mixer: a Response Surface Modeling Approach},
author = {Diego Caccavo and Raffaella {De Piano} and Luca Broegg and Anna Angela Barba and Gaetano Lamberti },
url = {https://www.cetjournal.it/cet/25/118/050.pdf},
doi = {10.3303/CET25118050},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-08-11},
urldate = {2025-08-11},
journal = {Chemical Engineering Transaction},
volume = {118},
abstract = {Liposomes are vesicular structures capable of encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients or other compounds. A thorough understanding of their physical properties is essential for optimizing their application potential. In this work, liposomes were produced using ethanol, with phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin processed via a coaxial jet mixer. The study investigated the effect of key operating parameters\textemdashethanol flow rate, water flow rate, and phosphatidylcholine concentration\textemdashon four experimental responses: Z-Average, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Main Intensity Peak Size, and Zeta Potential. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the experimental plan, minimizing the number of trials compared to a full factorial design. Measurements performed using a Zetasizer enabled the development of predictive models for the selected responses. Modeling results, based on a univariate analysis and a top-down approach, showed that within the explored parameter range, Z-Average was primarily influenced by the inner flow rate and phosphatidylcholine concentration. These parameters also significantly affected the Zeta Potential, while water flow rate had the least impact on the responses. To achieve smaller liposomes, the results indicate the need for low phosphatidylcholine concentrations combined with high inner flow rates.},
keywords = {liposome, liposomes, nanoliposome, nanoliposomes delivery systems},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Liposomes are vesicular structures capable of encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients or other compounds. A thorough understanding of their physical properties is essential for optimizing their application potential. In this work, liposomes were produced using ethanol, with phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin processed via a coaxial jet mixer. The study investigated the effect of key operating parameters—ethanol flow rate, water flow rate, and phosphatidylcholine concentration—on four experimental responses: Z-Average, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Main Intensity Peak Size, and Zeta Potential. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the experimental plan, minimizing the number of trials compared to a full factorial design. Measurements performed using a Zetasizer enabled the development of predictive models for the selected responses. Modeling results, based on a univariate analysis and a top-down approach, showed that within the explored parameter range, Z-Average was primarily influenced by the inner flow rate and phosphatidylcholine concentration. These parameters also significantly affected the Zeta Potential, while water flow rate had the least impact on the responses. To achieve smaller liposomes, the results indicate the need for low phosphatidylcholine concentrations combined with high inner flow rates.
2020
Gaetano Lamberti; Anna Angela Barba
Drug Delivery of siRNA Therapeutics Journal Article
In: Pharmaceutics, vol. 12(2), no. 178, 2020.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: aptamers, Drug Delivery Systems, gene therapy, liposomes, nanoparticles, polycations, siRNA
@article{Lamberti2020,
title = {Drug Delivery of siRNA Therapeutics},
author = {Gaetano Lamberti and Anna Angela Barba},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/12/2/178/pdf},
doi = {10.3390/pharmaceutics12020178},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-02-20},
journal = {Pharmaceutics},
volume = {12(2)},
number = {178},
keywords = {aptamers, Drug Delivery Systems, gene therapy, liposomes, nanoparticles, polycations, siRNA},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2019
Anna Angela Barba; Sabrina Bochicchio; Annalisa Dalmoro; Gaetano Lamberti
Lipid Delivery Systems for Nucleic-Acid-Based-Drugs: From Production to Clinical Applications Journal Article
In: Pharmaceutics, vol. 11, no. 360, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: clinical trials, liposomes, Micro and Nano Vectors, NABDs, siRNA
@article{Barba2019,
title = {Lipid Delivery Systems for Nucleic-Acid-Based-Drugs: From Production to Clinical Applications},
author = {Anna Angela Barba and Sabrina Bochicchio and Annalisa Dalmoro and Gaetano Lamberti},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/11/8/360},
doi = {10.3390/pharmaceutics11080360},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-07-24},
journal = {Pharmaceutics},
volume = {11},
number = {360},
abstract = {In the last years the rapid development of Nucleic Acid Based Drugs (NABDs) to be used in gene therapy has had a great impact in the medical field, holding enormous promise, becoming “the latest generation medicine” with the first ever siRNA-lipid based formulation approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use, and currently on the market under the trade name Onpattro™. The growth of such powerful biologic therapeutics has gone hand in hand with the progress in delivery systems technology, which is absolutely required to improve their safety and effectiveness. Lipid carrier systems, particularly liposomes, have been proven to be the most suitable vehicles meeting NABDs requirements in the medical healthcare framework, limiting their toxicity, and ensuring their delivery and expression into the target tissues. In this review, after a description of the several kinds of liposomes structures and formulations used for in vitro or in vivo NABDs delivery, the broad range of siRNA-liposomes production techniques are discussed in the light of the latest technological progresses. Then, the current status of siRNA-lipid delivery systems in clinical trials is addressed, offering an updated overview on the clinical goals and the next challenges of this new class of therapeutics which will soon replace traditional drugs},
keywords = {clinical trials, liposomes, Micro and Nano Vectors, NABDs, siRNA},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the last years the rapid development of Nucleic Acid Based Drugs (NABDs) to be used in gene therapy has had a great impact in the medical field, holding enormous promise, becoming “the latest generation medicine” with the first ever siRNA-lipid based formulation approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use, and currently on the market under the trade name Onpattro™. The growth of such powerful biologic therapeutics has gone hand in hand with the progress in delivery systems technology, which is absolutely required to improve their safety and effectiveness. Lipid carrier systems, particularly liposomes, have been proven to be the most suitable vehicles meeting NABDs requirements in the medical healthcare framework, limiting their toxicity, and ensuring their delivery and expression into the target tissues. In this review, after a description of the several kinds of liposomes structures and formulations used for in vitro or in vivo NABDs delivery, the broad range of siRNA-liposomes production techniques are discussed in the light of the latest technological progresses. Then, the current status of siRNA-lipid delivery systems in clinical trials is addressed, offering an updated overview on the clinical goals and the next challenges of this new class of therapeutics which will soon replace traditional drugs