SBIR Phase I: Delivering living probiotic cells in topical skin application

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是扩展先进的封装技术，以成功地在皮肤上提供新的生物治疗。 研究已经证明了将活益生菌直接应用于皮肤的有益效果，并且出现了在局部乳膏中提供活益生菌的需求。然而，生物制剂的应用目前受到限制，因为其在生产，运输，储存过程中的灭活/分解相关的挑战，这通常导致低递送效率和产品类型的限制。此外，目前的含生物制品通常具有短的保质期和高的冷藏成本。该项目将创建一个强大的封装平台，专门用于在具有长期储存能力的局部皮肤制剂中提供活益生菌，同时为未来生物相关应用提供关键方法。该项目将实现新型生物治疗应用。SBIR第一阶段项目旨在利用微胶囊技术开发解决方案，以延长益生菌在复杂的水油皮肤配方中的存活时间。 多项研究已经验证了活性益生菌对皮肤健康的有利作用;然而，局部益生菌产品的开发仍然是一个巨大的挑战，因为益生菌必须在长期储存期间在制剂中保持活性和活力。为了缓解这些挑战，该提案将重点关注完整性增强的微结构，这些微结构可以在高度潮湿的环境中包裹、包裹和维持活的益生菌细胞。将开发不同类型的富含益生菌的皮肤保湿剂配方，并将在加速储存条件下研究益生菌的活力和稳定性。具体而言，该项目将通过对以下方面进行详细分析来提高益生菌在护肤配方中的稳定性和活力：（1）包裹益生菌的工艺参数和操作温度;（2）使用合适的益生菌友好成分开发配方;（3）微胶囊微观结构和益生菌相容性的稳定性;（4）微胶囊化的微胶囊化。（4）益生菌在不同pH和温度条件下的存活率：（5）益生菌与抗菌剂的相互作用;以及（6）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to extend advanced encapsulation technologies to allow successful delivery of new biological treatments on the skin. Research has proven the beneficial effects of applying living probiotics directly to skin, and there are emerging needs to deliver such probiotics alive in topical creams. However, applications of biologics are currently limited because of the challenges associated with its inactivation/decomposition during production, transport, storage, which often lead to low delivery efficacy and constraints in product type. Additionally, current biologic-containing products often have short shelf-life and high refrigeration cost. This project will create a robust encapsulation platform tailored toward delivering living probiotics in topical skin formulations featuring long storage capabilities, while providing critical methods for prospective biologic-related applications. This project will enable novel biologic therapeutic applications.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop solutions to prolong probiotics’ survival in complex water-oil skin formulations utilizing microencapsulation technology. Multiple studies have validated the advantageous effect of active probiotics for skin health; however, development of topical probiotic products remains a great challenge as the probiotics must remain active and viable within formulations during long storage periods. To mitigate such challenges, this proposal will focus on integrity-enhanced microstructures that can encase, immobilize and sustain living-probiotic cells in a highly moisturized environment. Different types of probiotic-enriched skin moisturizer formulations will be developed, and the viability and stability of probiotics will be studied under accelerated storage conditions. Specifically, this project will improve the stability and viability of probiotics in skincare formulations by carrying out detailed analysis on: (1) the processing parameters and operating temperatures to encase probiotics; (2) developing formulations using suitable probiotic-friendly ingredients; (3) the stabilities of the microencapsulation microstructures and probiotic compatibility; (4) probiotic viabilities stored under different pH and temperature conditions; (5) probiotics’ interaction with antimicrobial agents; and (6) the release and delivery of probiotics from the formulation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.