Electrosprayed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles as a promising drug delivery system for the novel JNK inhibitor IQ-1

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), play important role in the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and signaling cascades. Therefore, JNKs are key targets for the treatment of cytokine/JNK-driven diseases. Herein, we developed electrospray poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles doped with novel JNK inhibitor 11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime (IQ-1). Optimized electrospray parameters allowed us to produce IQ-1-doped microparticles with round shape, smooth and non-porous surface, and mean diameter of 0.9–1.3 μm. We have shown that IQ-1 was well integrated into the polymer matrix and had a prolonged release in two steps via non-Fickian release. The fabricated particles doped with IQ-1 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects, as indicated by inhibited neutrophil activation and cytokine secretion by human monocytic MonoMac-6 cells. Overall, our study demonstrates that PLGA microparticles doped with a novel JNK inhibitor (IQ-1) could be a promising delivery system for treatment of JNK-mediated diseases.