Design and experimental studies on squalene-gusperimus nanoparticles for managing immune responses against microencapsulated islets in the immediate posttransplant period

In this PhD thesis, we proposed a suitable way to stabilize gusperimus (an immunosuppressive agent) by forming nanoparticles of the drug called squalene-gusperimus nanoparticles (Sq-GusNPs) using the squalenoylation platform. This platform consisted of binding the drug to squalene a naturally occurring substance found in plants, animals, and humans. The obtention of these nanoparticles was effective in overcoming stability issues, off-target toxicity, and improved the pharmacological effects of gusperimus. Later, the obtained nanoparticles were incorporated into alginate microcapsules-containing pancreatic islets (pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production) to evaluate their applicability for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus after grafting. The obtained nanoparticles showed to be safe for islets and efficient to reduce inflammatory responses indicating the high potential of this system for transplantation of encapsulated pancreatic islets. Besides these nanoparticles can be applied in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and rejection for organ transplantation.