Chemical engineering of nanogel drug carriers: increased bioavailability and decreased cytotoxicity.
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: Various drug formulations of hydrophilic nanogel carriers consisted of the cross-linked network of neutral polymers, e.g. poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and charged polymers, e.g. polyethylenimine (PEI), have been described recently [1–5]. Potential nanogel applications include delivery of oppositely charged drugs, such as oligonucleotides, plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA, nucleoside 5′-triphosphates, otherwise degraded in biological media. These formulations were also found to significantly enhance biological activity of encapsulated drugs. In addition to passive drug release, we recently confirmed a triggered release mechanism mediated by Nanogel interaction with cellular membranes [6]. Phospholipids are capable of interacting with the charged nanogel network, when nanogel particles get into a close contact with cellular membrane, easily substituting nanogel-formulated drugs. As a result, the drug is rapidly released into the cytosol.
The goal of this work was chemical engineering of nanogel structure in order to increase bioavailability of nanogels through modification of polymeric components of the carrier and surface modification with short peptides for specific targeting and modulation of Nanogel biodistribution. Preparation of nanogels with a biodegradable PEI in the structure [9] can provide a significantly less toxic alternative to the regular carriers. Finally, a novel micellar approach to the environmentally clean (‘green’) synthesis of nanogels with an enhanced cellular accumulation was proposed [7].
Source: PubMed
Institution: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W196963270