title: Probing the interaction of nanoparticles with mucin for drug delivery applications using dynamic light scattering.
abstract: Drug delivery via the eye, nose, gastrointestinal tract and lung is of great interest as they represent patient-compliant and facile methods to administer drugs. However, for a drug to reach the systemic circulation it must penetrate the "mucus barrier". An understanding of the characteristics of the mucus barrier is therefore important in the design of mucus penetrating drug delivery vehicles e.g. nanoparticles. Here, a range of nanoparticles - silica, aluminium coated silica, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and PEGylated PLGA - each with known but different physicochemical characteristics were examined in the presence of mucin to identify those characteristics that engender nanoparticle/mucin interactions and thus, to define "design rules" for mucus penetrating (nano)particles (MPP), at least in terms of the surface characteristics of charge and hydrophilicity. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and rheology have been used to assess the interaction between such nanoparticles and mucin. It was found that negatively charged and hydrophilic nanoparticles do not exhibit an interaction with mucin whereas positively charged and hydrophobic nanoparticles show a strong interaction. Surface grafted poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains significantly reduced this interaction. This study clearly demonstrates that the established colloid science techniques of DLS and rheology are very powerful screening tools to probe nanoparticle/mucin interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK. Electronic address: p.griffiths@gre.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter Charles
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cattoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
authors.forename: Mervat Shafik
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
authors.forename: Josephine Chibuzor
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Anuonye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D053758:Nanoparticles; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D012212:Rheology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D009077:Mucins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: Aluminium coated silica; Dynamic light scattering; Mucin; PEGylated PLGA; Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA); Rheology; Silica