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Deformable microparticles for shuttling nanoparticles to the vascular wall
Margaret B Fish1, Alison L Banka1, Margaret Braunreuther1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Science Advances
|April 22, 2021
Summary
Deformable hydrogel microparticles enhance nanoparticle delivery to diseased vessel walls by over 3000%. Optimizing microparticle size improves margination, boosting nanocarrier transport for vascular targeting applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Vascular-targeted drug delivery requires carriers to marginate and adhere to diseased endothelium.
- Particle size critically influences margination in blood flow, with conflicting optimal sizes for margination (microparticles) versus delivery (nanoparticles).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate deformable hydrogel microparticles as carriers for enhanced nanoparticle transport to diseased vascular walls.
- To investigate the impact of microparticle modulus on nanoparticle delivery efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel microparticles.
- Loading of 50-nm nanoparticles into hydrogel microparticles.
- Evaluation of nanoparticle delivery to the vessel wall using nanoparticle-loaded microparticles with varying moduli compared to free nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Nanoparticle-loaded hydrogel microparticles significantly increased nanoparticle delivery to the vessel wall compared to free nanoparticles.
- Delivery enhancement exceeded 3000% depending on microparticle modulus.
- Optimized microparticle properties improved margination and subsequent nanocarrier transport.
Conclusions:
- Deformable hydrogel microparticles can effectively enhance nanocarrier transport to the vascular wall.
- Optimizing microparticle characteristics, such as modulus, is crucial for improving vascular targeting efficiency.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for improving the efficacy of vascular-targeted therapies.
