Polyelectrolyte based molecular carriers: the role of self-assembled proteins in permeability properties.

Polyelectrolyte capsules are seen as promising nanotechnology based drug delivery systems. In previous works, we have demonstrated the possibility to fabricate bio-activated surface layer containing capsules with improved features in terms of biocompatibility. In this study, we have characterized the permeability properties of such capsules towards low and high molecular weight molecules, including proteins. The results indicated that the presence of the surface layer strongly affects the permeability properties of the capsules in terms of loading capacity which was found to be higher compared to that of plain capsules. These properties make such systems interesting candidates as drug delivery platforms.