Cyclodextrin enabled transdermal peptide delivery by cyclodextrin

Non invasive peptide delivery is a highly needed, especially challenging discipline. Auro Wellness has developed a transdermally absorbed glutathione (GSH) formulation [1]. The patent applications claim the use of gamma-cyclodextrin [2,3,4], though the product label only mentions “cyclodextrin” amongst the excipients. GSH is an important intracellular antioxidant responsible for neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS). A recently published clinical experiment [5, 6] aimed to determine if the topical application of a glutathione–cyclodextrin nanoparticle complex (GSH-CD) confers a therapeutic effect against mycobacterium infections. In the study, healthy participants received either topical GSH-CD (n = 15) or placebo (n = 15) treatment. Subjects were sprayed four times twice a day for three days topically on the abdomen. Blood draws were collected prior to application, and at 1, 4, and 72 h post-initial topical application. GSH, malondialdehyde (MDA), and cytokine levels were assessed in the processed blood samples of study participants. Additionally, whole blood cultures from study participants were challenged with Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) infection in vitro to assess mycobacterium survival post-treatment. Topical GSH-CD treatment was observed to elevate GSH levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and red blood cells and decrease MDA levels in PBMCs 72 h post-treatment. An increase in plasma IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, and TNF-α was observed at 72 h post-topical GSH-CD treatment. Enhanced mycobacterium clearance was observed at 4 h and 72 h post-topical GSH-CD treatment. Overall, topical GSH-CD treatment was associated with improved immune function against M. avium infection. The findings of this pilot study suggest that GSH–cyclodextrin complex formulation can be used topically as a safe alternative mode of GSH delivery in the peripheral blood.

[1] https://aurowellness.com/product/glutaryl/

[2] https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US378641955&_cid=P11-LO3ZZN-21629-1

[3] https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US201382466&_cid=P11-LO3ZZN-21629-1

[4] https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US278276915&_cid=P11-LO3ZZN-21629-1

[5] Sasaninia, K.; Kelley, M.; Abnousian, A.; Badaoui, A.; Alexander, L.; Sheren, N.; Owens, J.; Rajurkar, S.; Razo-Botello, B.; Chorbajian, A.; et al. Topical Absorption of Glutathione–Cyclodextrin Nanoparticle Complex in Healthy Human Subjects Improves Immune Response against Mycobacterium avium Infection. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1375. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071375

[6] https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05926245?term=Glutathione-cyclodextrin%20Complex%20Absorption&rank=1#study-plan

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