School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS)
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Item Precision-engineered Carrageenan Gels: Boosting the Efficacy, Selectivity, and Release of Celecoxib for Lung Cancer Therapy(PubMed, 2026) Bhatt, Akanksha; Purohit, Priyank et alBackground: Lung cancer is one of the most widespread malignancies among all types of cancers. There is uncertainty in its treatment because of the selectivity. The investigation is aimed to enhance therapeutic efficacy through targeted improvements in drug selectivity and reduced toxicity by analyzing well-accepted cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, which is an enzyme target and a known therapeutic target for anti-inflammatory and antitumor agents. Objective: The objective of the present research was to identify the most suitable counterpart for celecoxib, which would produce synergistic effects and improve the selectivity index, safety, and efficacy of targeting cancer cells. Methods: The HOPE-62 cancer cell line and noncancerous LLC-MK2 cell line were used to analyze the activity of the prepared formulations. The effectiveness was compared by calculating the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of carrageenan, celecoxib, and celecoxib embedded with carrageenan. The release pattern of celecoxib from the carrageenan matrix was also determined by using a trans-diffusion cell; moreover, the binding sites of carrageenan and celecoxib were also evaluated through in silico molecular docking studies. Results: Carrageenan showed promising anticancer activity, with an IC50 value of 17.3±2 μM against the HOPE- 62 cell line. When blended with celecoxib (15.6±2 μM), the combination achieved enhanced efficacy and improved selectivity over celecoxib alone (IC50 of 10.3±1.5 μM). In noncancerous LLC-MK2 cells, the IC50 values were observed to be significantly higher: 1484 ±6 μM in the combined formulation and with IC50 values of 559±3 μM and 878±4 μM, respectively, in celecoxib and carrageenan alone. Conclusion: The carrageenan-embedded celecoxib exhibited a significant increase in the selectivity index from 32 to 144, which suggests enhanced anticancer activity with a favorable safety profile. Initially, sustained release of celecoxib from the blend was at a higher rate, but steadily maintained rates were. The In-silico docking studies also supported the synergistic activity of the combined form through separate interaction patterns without interfering with others. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of excipient-drug blending strategies to achieve synergistic effects, excellent selectivity, and reduced toxicity in cancer treatments.Item Ammonia-triggered disintegration of kappa-carrageenan hydrogel carrier for site-specific anti-inflammatory drug delivery(Frontiers, 2026-01-06) Kumar, Sachin; Purohit, Priyank et al.Ammonia accumulation in tissues is increasingly recognized as a direct biochemical trigger of ammonia-induced inflammation, yet no therapeutic strategy currently exists that can selectively target this pathological condition while minimizing systemic toxicity. Addressing this critical gap, the present study introduces a first-of-its-kind kappa-carrageenan (KC)-based formulation engineered to respond selectively to ammonia-rich inflammatory environments while simultaneously exerting synergistic anti-inflammatory effects. The KC gel’s structural network exhibited pronounced disruption upon exposure to ammonium hydroxide, supported by physicochemical changes, the weakening of OH and SO3H absorption bands in FT-IR spectra, and optical microscopy-confirmed morphological alterations. Drug-release studies revealed highly accelerated celecoxib release (up to 86%) from NH4OH-treated gels compared to only 33% under normal physiological conditions, demonstrating strong ammonia-triggered responsiveness and high site-selective delivery. In vivo anti-inflammatory evaluation further confirmed enhanced therapeutic potency arising from the synergistic interaction between celecoxib and KC, while cell-line assays validated the formulation’s favorable safety profile. Although long-term stability and pharmacokinetic assessments are required for clinical translation, this study establishes KC as a dual-functional, smart, and ammonia-responsive system, offering a novel mechanistic framework for targeted, sustained, and effective treatment of ammonia-associated inflammatory disorders.
