Development of biodegradable hyperbranched core-multishell nanocarriers for efficient topical drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Dermatology

Background:

• Topical drug application offers localized treatment for skin diseases, potentially minimizing systemic side effects.
• Biodegradable nanocarriers are being explored to improve the efficacy and safety of topical therapies.
• Core-multishell (CMS) nanocarriers present a versatile platform for drug delivery applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize biodegradable core-multishell (CMS) nanocarriers for topical drug delivery.
• To evaluate the drug loading capacity and skin permeation enhancement of CMS nanocarriers.
• To assess the stability, cytotoxicity, and potential of CMS nanocarriers for Dexamethasone delivery.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of hyperbranched polyglycerol core with polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) shell nanocarriers.
• Loading of the anti-inflammatory drug Dexamethasone (Dexa) into CMS nanocarriers.
• Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for nanoparticle characterization and in vitro skin permeation studies using Nile red.

Main Results:

• CMS nanocarriers loaded with Dexamethasone exhibited unimolecular carrier behavior.
• Nanocarriers with longer PCL segments demonstrated improved transport capacity.
• In vitro studies showed a 7-fold increase in skin penetration for CMS nanocarriers compared to conventional cream.
• FITC-labeled nanocarriers localized in the stratum corneum, indicating cargo release after transport.

Conclusions:

• Biodegradable hPG-PCL-mPEG CMS nanocarriers are effective for topical drug delivery, significantly enhancing skin permeation.
• These nanocarriers demonstrate good stability, low cytotoxicity, and scalability, making them promising for Dexamethasone topical formulations.
• The stratum corneum localization suggests a mechanism of cargo release post-transport, optimizing local drug availability.