Poly(acrylic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles designed for ophthalmic drug delivery

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), four-arm, amine-terminated particles with nanometer size and spherical shape were obtained by the polymers cross-linking, via activation with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride, in a w/o emulsion. The morphology and surface charge of the final particles are strongly dependent on the molar ratio of PAA-PEG and the PAA concentration. The physicochemical characteristics correlated with the drug-loading capacity, in vitro and ex vivo release kinetics of pilocarpine hydrochloride and biocompatibility results indicate that these nanoparticles exhibit the prerequisite behavior for use as carriers of ophthalmic drugs.