Drug release and mucus possible with Biodegradable particles
Biodegradable nanosized particles have been created by researchers from the John Hopkins University. These particles can easily slip through viscous and sticky body secretions for delivering a sustained-release medication cargo.
The involved researchers remarked that nanoparticles could be used for carrying life-saving drugs to patients suffering from diseases such as eye, gut, and lung complications.
From Sciencedaily.com:
“The major advance here is that we were able make biodegradable nanoparticles that can rapidly penetrate thick and sticky mucus secretions, and that these particles can transport a wide range of therapeutic molecules, from small molecules such as chemotherapeutics and steroids to macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids,” Hanes said. “Previously, we could not get these kinds of sustained-release treatments through the body’s sticky mucus layers effectively.”
The new biodegradable particles comprise two parts made of molecules routinely used in existing medications. An inner core, composed largely of polysebacic acid (PSA), traps therapeutic agents inside. A particularly dense outer coating of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules, which are linked to PSA, allows a particle to move through mucus nearly as easily as if it were moving through water and also permits the drug to remain in contact with affected tissues for an extended period of time.
This work was supported in part by funding from the National Institutes of Health, a National Center for Research Resources Clinical and Translational Science Award, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the National Science Foundation and a Croucher Foundation Fellowship.
Tags: chemotherapeutics, mucus, proteins, Steroids
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