Chitosan-Based Multifunctional Platforms for Local Delivery of Therapeutics

Abstract

Chitosan has been widely used as a key biomaterial for the development of drug delivery systems intended to be administered via oral and parenteral routes. In particular, chitosan-based microparticles are the most frequently employed delivery system, along with specialized systems such as hydrogels, nanoparticles and thin films. Based on the progress made in chitosan-based drug delivery systems, the usefulness of chitosan has further expanded to anti-cancer chemoembolization, tissue engineering, and stem cell research. For instance, chitosan has been used to develop embolic materials designed to efficiently occlude the blood vessels by which the oxygen and nutrients are supplied. Indeed, it has been reported to be a promising embolic material. For better anti-cancer effect, embolic materials that can locally release anti-cancer drugs were proposed. In addition, a complex of radioactive materials and chitosan to be locally injected into the liver has been investigated as an efficient therapeutic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma. In line with this, a number of attempts have been explored to use chitosan-based carriers for the delivery of various agents, especially to the site of interest. Thus, in this work, studies where chitosan-based drug delivery systems have successfully been used for local delivery will be presented along with future perspectives.

Chitosan-Based Mucoadhesive Vaginal Tablets for Controlled Release of the Anti-HIV Drug Tenofovir

“…The percentage of glucosamine determines its physicochemical properties [15], of which the most notable is its cationic nature, and especially interesting if we consider that most natural polymers present neutral or anionic charges [16]. The mechanical properties of chitosan-based systems can therefore be modified by forming a polyelectrolyte complex with anionic compounds [17]. This polymer offers several advantages from a pharmaceutical point of view, as it is biocompatible and biodegradable [18].…”

Zinc-Modified Nanotransporter of Doxorubicin for Targeted Prostate Cancer Delivery

“…The positive charge of CS NPs enables to bind negative charged biomolecules via electrostatic interaction. These properties have been used in several studies focused on several delivery systems including drugs, genes or nanoparticle delivery to the target tissues which is well described in many reviews [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Lee et al demonstrated the chemical conjugation of CD 7− specific single-chain antibody on the CS nanoparticle backbone useful for the delivery of siRNA into CD 4+ T cell lines [ 25 ].…”

Smart Supra- and Macro-Molecular Tools for Biomedical Applications

“…One appealing route of bio-application for this type of glycodynameric gels is related to precision, local medicine, and cancer targeting in particular. Multifunctional, responsive hydrogels with accessible formulation and controlled gelling time are primary candidates for injection at the tumor site if able to retain local spreading and acceptable toxicity [89,90]. In this context, the dynamic monoaldehyde strategy was used to build soft, 3D networks based on chitosan and nitrosalicylaldehyde for local tumor targeting [91].…”