Facile design of autogenous stimuli-responsive chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles for efficient small molecules to protein delivery

J Mater Chem B. 2020 Aug 19;8(32):7275-7287. doi: 10.1039/d0tb00772b.

Abstract

Easily assembled and biocompatible chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles with multiple stimuli-responsive ability are ideally suited for efficient delivery of therapeutic agents under specific endogenous triggers. We report a simple and versatile strategy to formulate oxidative stress and pH-responsive chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanocarriers with high encapsulation efficiencies of small drug molecules and nerve growth factor protein. This is achieved through invoking the dual role of a thioketal-based weak organic acid to disperse and functionalize low molecular weight chitosan in one-pot. Thioketal embedded chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanostructures respond to oxidative stress and show controlled release of quercetin, curcumin and NGF. Lowering the pH in the buffer solution led to higher quercetin release from NPs than at physiological pH, and mimicked the nanoparticle behavior in the environment of early to late endosomes. Curcumin and quercetin loaded NPs killed glioblastoma cells with high efficiency, and NGF-loaded nanoparticles retained biological activity of the protein and increased peripheral nerve outgrowth in explanted mouse dorsal root ganglia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Buffers
  • Chitosan / chemistry*
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry*
  • Drug Design*
  • Ganglia, Spinal / drug effects
  • Ganglia, Spinal / growth & development
  • Hyaluronic Acid / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nerve Growth Factor / chemistry*
  • Nerve Growth Factor / pharmacology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects

Substances

  • Buffers
  • Drug Carriers
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Chitosan
  • Nerve Growth Factor