Tannic acid-based sustained-release system for protein drugs

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Protein Therapeutics

Background:

• Protein drug development requires simple, effective controlled-release systems.
• Existing methods may lead to protein denaturation or loss of activity.
• There is a need for facile and stable protein drug delivery platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and effective sustained-release system for protein drugs.
• To investigate the use of tannic acid for protein drug complexation and controlled release.
• To evaluate the activity and efficacy of protein-tannic acid complexes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the astringency mechanism of tannic acid to form insoluble precipitates with various protein drugs.
• Characterized the interactions (hydrophobic, hydrogen bonds) between tannic acid and proteins (nisin, insulin, lysozyme, ovalbumin, hyaluronidase, IgG).
• Assessed in vitro activity (lysozyme), in vivo efficacy (insulin's hypoglycemic effect), and immunogenicity (ovalbumin's antibody production).

Main Results:

• Tannic acid successfully formed insoluble precipitates with multiple protein drugs.
• The lysozyme/tannic acid complex retained its in vitro lytic activity.
• Insulin/tannic acid complexes showed prolonged hypoglycemic effects post-administration, and ovalbumin/tannic acid complexes enhanced antibody production.

Conclusions:

• Tannic acid serves as a simple and user-friendly drug delivery system for protein drugs.
• The tannic acid-mediated precipitation approach is effective for sustained protein release without compromising activity.
• This method holds promise for improving the therapeutic outcomes of protein-based medications.