1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada;2. Centre for Contact Lens Research, School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, On, N2L 3G1, Canada
Abstract:
Mucoadhesive NP drug carriers have attracted substantial interest as a potential treatment for anterior eye diseases. NPs composed of PLA‐Dex surface functionalized with a mucoadhesive ligand, PBA, were developed as drug carriers with particle sizes ranging from 25 to 28 nm. Using CycA as a model drug, we showed that NPs encapsulated up to 13.7 wt% CycA and exhibited sustained release for up to 5 d in vitro at a clinically relevant dose. We fine‐tuned the PBA density on the NP surface to maximize the mucin‐NP interaction without compromising the particle stability in vitro. This block copolymer conjugate may be useful to improve the bioavailability of topical formulations.
