Mucus-penetrating nanoparticles for drug and gene delivery to mucosal tissues

• Published in: Advanced drug delivery reviews Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 158 - 171
• Main Authors: Lai, Samuel K., Wang, Ying-Ying, Hanes, Justin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 27.02.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Drug Carriers - administration & dosage; Drug Carriers - pharmacokinetics; Gene Transfer Techniques; Humans; Mucous Membrane - metabolism; Mucus; Mucus - chemistry; Mucus - metabolism; Mucus barrier properties; Mucus-penetrating particles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Therapeutic particles; Viscosity; Mucus barrier properties; Mucus; Mucus-penetrating particles; Therapeutic particles
• ISSN: 0169-409X; 1872-8294
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2008.11.002

Mucus is a viscoelastic and adhesive gel that protects the lung airways, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, vagina, eye and other mucosal surfaces. Most foreign particulates, including conventional particle-based drug delivery systems, are efficiently trapped in human mucus layers by steric obstruction and/or adhesion. Trapped particles are typically removed from the mucosal tissue within seconds to a few hours depending on anatomical location, thereby strongly limiting the duration of sustained drug delivery locally. A number of debilitating diseases could be treated more effectively and with fewer side effects if drugs and genes could be more efficiently delivered to the underlying mucosal tissues in a controlled manner. This review first describes the tenacious mucus barrier properties that have precluded the efficient penetration of therapeutic particles. It then reviews the design and development of new mucus-penetrating particles that may avoid rapid mucus clearance mechanisms, and thereby provide targeted or sustained drug delivery for localized therapies in mucosal tissues.