title: The application of mucoadhesive polymers in nasal drug delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last decades, the application of mucoadhesive polymers in nasal drug delivery systems has gained interest among pharmaceutical scientists as a means of promoting dosage form residence time in the nasal cavity as well as improving intimacy of contact with absorptive membranes of the biological system. In addition, the enhanced paracellular absorption following the swelling of the mucoadhesive polymers on the nasal membranes provides an important way for the absorption of the macromolecules through the nasal cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper describes some aspects of mucoadhesion related to the nasal drug delivery system. First the theories of the adhesion of mucoadhesive polymers to the mucosa epithelium are described. Then the characteristics and application of several widely used polymers in nasal drug delivery are presented. Finally, the influences of dosage form on the nasal absorption of drugs in the mucoadhesive polymer-based formulations are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mucoadhesive polymers have enormous potential for the delivery of therapeutic macromolecules, genes, and vaccines through the nasal cavity with high drug bioavailability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lingmin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers