Development of an Innovative Dual Construct for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Oral Cavity

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune oral mucosa disease and a potentially malignant oral disorder.
• Current topical corticosteroid treatments for OLP have limitations including frequent application needs, poor retention, and side effects.
• Developing advanced drug delivery systems is crucial to overcome OLP treatment challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an innovative dexamethasone delivery system for oral application.
• To utilize poly(lactic acid) fibers coated with chitosan and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles for enhanced drug delivery.
• To evaluate the mucoadhesive and cellular uptake properties of the developed system.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of chitosan-coated poly(lactic acid) fibers for mucoadhesion and cytocompatibility.
• Development and analysis of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles for size, shape, encapsulation, cellular uptake, drug release, and cytocompatibility.
• Assessment of the combined system's performance under simulated salivation conditions.

Main Results:

• Both poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymers exhibited cytocompatibility.
• Chitosan-coated fibers demonstrated significant mucoadhesive properties.
• Nanoparticles showed efficient cellular internalization and drug release, with the combined system maintaining efficacy even with simulated salivation.

Conclusions:

• The developed chitosan-coated poly(lactic acid) fiber and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle system shows potential for improved mucoadhesive drug delivery in the oral cavity.
• This innovative system offers dual benefits of mucoadhesion and efficient cellular uptake for OLP treatment.
• Further research and optimization are necessary to enhance patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes for oral lichen planus.