A Dual-PEGylation Strategy to Enhance Mucus Transport of Drug Nanocrystals
Marcelo Calderón – Professor, Applied Chemistry Department, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Upashi Goswami – Post doc, Applied Chemistry Department, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.; Soledad Orellano, PhD – post doc, Applied Chemistry Department, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Alejandro Paredes – Professor, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, U.K
Reseacher/ PhD student POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country Donostia / San Sebastián, Pais Vasco, Spain
Introduction: Pulmonary drug delivery is limited by the viscoelastic and adhesive properties of lung mucus, which hinder the transport of many therapeutic agents, particularly poorly water-soluble drugs¹. This study aimed to develop a mucus-penetrating nanoscale delivery system based on drug nanocrystals with surface-engineered polymer coatings to improve stability and transport across the lung mucus barrier.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss how polymer functionalization improves the transport of nanocrystals through pulmonary mucus barriers.
Clarify the role of dual PEGylation in enhancing the stability and diffusion of nanocrystals.
Assess the impact of mucus characteristics on the permeability of surface-engineered nanocrystals.
