Mucosal Applications of Poloxamer 407-Based Hydrogels: An Overview

Abstract

Poloxamer 407, also known by the trademark Pluronic® F127, is a water-soluble, non-ionic triblock copolymer that is made up of a hydrophobic residue of polyoxypropylene (POP) between the two hydrophilic units of polyoxyethylene (POE). Poloxamer 407-based hydrogels exhibit an interesting reversible thermal characteristic. That is, they are liquid at room temperature, but they assume a gel form when administered at body temperature, which makes them attractive candidates as pharmaceutical drug carriers. These systems have been widely investigated in the development of mucoadhesive formulations because they do not irritate the mucosal membranes. Based on these mucoadhesive properties, a simple administration into a specific compartment should maintain the required drug concentration in situ for a prolonged period of time, decreasing the necessary dosages and side effects. Their main limitations are their modest mechanical strength and, notwithstanding their bioadhesive properties, their tendency to succumb to rapid elimination in physiological media. Various technological approaches have been investigated in the attempt to modulate these properties. This review focuses on the application of poloxamer 407-based hydrogels for mucosal drug delivery with particular attention being paid to the latest published works.

Pharmacotechnical Development of a Nasal Drug Delivery Composite Nanosystem Intended for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

“…On the contrary, liposome addition in the gel led to a significant increase of the detachment force and of the adhesion work ( Figure 5). Poloxamers are able to form entanglements or non-covalent bonds with mucus, thus favoring a greater degree of interaction with various biological tissues [21]. In our formulation, interactions between liposomes and poloxamers could impact the strength of the gel and further, positively influence their interactions with the mucin.…”

“…Due to their reversible thermal characteristics, Poloxamer-based hydrogels are interesting candidates as drug carriers. Consequently, these thermoreversible and not irritating gel have been largely investigated to develop mucoadhesive formulations [21]. P188 is interesting to use in association with P407 in order to modulate the Tsol-gel and the properties of gel.…”

Clinically adaptable polymer enables simultaneous spatial analysis of colonic tissues and biofilms

“…To our knowledge, this is the first use of Poloxamer 407 for tissue fixation 37,39,40 . Our successful implementation will enable its wider deployment in clinical pipelines for human microbiome and biofilm research.…”

Topical Pioglitazone Nanoformulation for the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: Design, Characterization and Efficacy in Hairless Mouse Model

“…This can be attributed to the properties of Transcutol-P (polar solvent) and Capryol 90 (non-polar solvents), whose combination in the formulation could result in synergetic skin penetration enhancement due to the fact that Transcutol-P increases drug solubility in the stratum corneum (SC), whereas Capryol 90 favors the diffusion of drug in the SC [30]. Additionally, Pluronic F127 enhances the diffusion ability of drug thanks to its amphiphilic structure which allows it to act as a surfactant and interact with biological membranes [31,32].…”