Dipl. Pharm. Lisa Müller
Development of a drug formulation for the inhalative therapy of bronchial asthma
Asthma is one of the most common diseases. According to the WHO and the Global Initiative for Asthma 230 – 300 millions of people worldwide are suffering from bronchial asthma.
Lipidmediators, such as Leukotriens are associated with the pathogenesis of asthma. They are derived from the metabolism of arachidonic acid by the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). An inhibition of this enzyme could contribute to the alleviation of the symptoms of an asthmatic attack. Although the role of 5-LO in the development of asthma has been recognized many years ago, there is currently only the enzyme inhibitor zileutone a treatment option.
In the group of Prof. Andreas Langner small bioactive molecules with a 4,5-dihydro-1H-triazole skeleton are synthesized and characterized as inhibitors of 5-LO. Some candidates of this drug group show a very promising inhibition of 5-LO in human whole blood. In order to specify the efficacy or cytotoxicity of the compounds to be tested and to narrow down suitable drug candidates, studies on various cell types are planned.
The characterization of this group of active substances with regard to their physicochemical properties (solubility, dissociation behavior and distribution behavior), are focus of our investigations.
Since solubility of drugs may be a limiting factor in applicability, solubilizers such as bipolar phospholipids may be used in aqueous media to improve solubility.
In the last section of the project, the applicability of the effective drug/excipient formulations for pulmonary administration will be investigated.