Pellets are spherical or nearly spherical, free-flowing granules with a narrow size distribution, typically varying between 500 and 1500 µm for pharmaceutical applications. They are generally produced via a pelletization process whereby a powder blend consisting of an API and excipients particles is agglomerated into spherical granules. This review article deals with various aspects of the extrusion–spheronization technique. Pelletization is a technique to convert drugs or excipients to small free flowing, spherical or semi spherical units, which are produced by agglomerating fine powdered drugs/ excipients with a binder solution. Pellets range in size, typically, between 0.5 – 2 mm. In relation to pharmaceuticals, pellets offer high degree of flexibility in design and development of oral dosage form. Pelletization technique help in the formation of spherical beads or pellets having a diameter 0.5 -1.5 mm which can be eventually coated for preparation of modified release dosage form. The manufacturing techniques include Drug layering, Extrusion-Spheronization, Cryopelletization, Compression, Balling, Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Freeze pelletization, Spray-drying & Spray-congealing. Factors affecting pelletization technique and advantages, disadvantages of pellets are discussed.
No preventive vaccines are available for the treatment of AIDS. To improve therapy, combinational antiretroviral drugs are given; however some patients develop resistance to particular combinational drug. Microbubble-mediated drug delivery technology solves the problem by reducing systemic dose and toxicity. Microbubbles are bubbles smaller than one millimeter in diameter but larger than one micrometer. The general composition of microbubble is gas core. The mechanism of microbubbles through which its delivery increases is sonoporation, the formation of openings in the vasculature, induced by ultrasound-triggered oscillations and destruction of microbubbles. Rapid isolation strategy of CD4+ cells is mixing blood and glass microbubbles which then bind with the specific target cells to the microbubble carrying specific antibodies on their surface. The target cells will spontaneously float to the top of the blood vial and can be quickly separated. The microbubbles are particularly used in the diagnosis of AIDS because of their cell isolation techniques which is rapid and inexpensive and their small size to pass through capillary for perfusion in tissue This review demonstrates the problems with the current treatment of the disease and shed light on the remarkable potential of microbubbles to provide more effective treatment and prevention for HIV/AIDS by advancing antiretroviral therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, vaccinology, and microbicides.
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