Strategies to load therapeutics into polysaccharide-based nanogels with a focus on microfluidics: A review

N Zoratto; E Montanari; M Viola; J Wang; T Coviello; C Di Meo; P Matricardi

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118119

Strategies to load therapeutics into polysaccharide-based nanogels with a focus on microfluidics: A review

Carbohydr Polym. 2021 Aug 15:266:118119. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118119. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Authors

N Zoratto¹, E Montanari², M Viola³, J Wang⁴, T Coviello⁵, C Di Meo⁶, P Matricardi⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: nicole.zoratto@uniroma1.it.
² Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: elita.montanari@pharma.ethz.ch.
³ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: viola.1943830@studenti.uniroma1.it.
⁴ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: ju.wang@uniroma1.it.
⁵ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: tommasina.coviello@uniroma1.it.
⁶ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: chiara.dimeo@uniroma1.it.
⁷ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: pietro.matricardi@uniroma1.it.

PMID: 34044935
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118119

Abstract

Nowadays nanoparticles are increasingly investigated for the targeted and controlled delivery of therapeutics, as suggested by the high number of research articles (2400 in 2000 vs 8500 in 2020). Among them, almost 2% investigated nanogels in 2020. Nanogels or nanohydrogels (NGs) are nanoparticles formed by a swollen three-dimensional network of synthetic polymers or natural macromolecules such as polysaccharides. NGs represent a highly versatile nanocarrier, able to deliver a number of therapeutics. Currently, NGs are undergoing clinical trials for the delivery of anti-cancer vaccines. Herein, the strategies to load low molecular weight drugs, (poly)peptides and genetic material into polysaccharide NGs as well as to formulate NGs-based vaccines are summarized, with a focus on the microfluidics approach.

Keywords: Drug loading methods; Microfluidics; Nanogels; Nanogels-based vaccines; Polysaccharides.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adjuvants, Immunologic / chemistry
Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology
Animals
Carbohydrate Sequence
Drug Carriers / chemistry*
Drug Carriers / pharmacology
Drug Compounding / methods
Gene Transfer Techniques
Humans
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Immunity / drug effects
Microfluidics / methods
Nanogels / chemistry*
Polysaccharides / chemistry*
Polysaccharides / pharmacology
Static Electricity
Vaccines, Synthetic / chemistry

Substances

Adjuvants, Immunologic
Drug Carriers
Nanogels
Polysaccharides
Vaccines, Synthetic