Reading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 224, RG6 6AD Reading, United Kingdom.
Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2018 Jan 15;124:140-149. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.07.015. Epub 2017 Jul 20.
Mucus is a highly hydrated viscoelastic gel present on various moist surfaces in our body including the eyes, nasal cavity, mouth, gastrointestinal, respiratory and reproductive tracts. It serves as a very efficient barrier that prevents harmful particles, viruses and bacteria from entering the human body. However, the protective function of the mucus also hampers the diffusion of drugs and nanomedicines, which dramatically reduces their efficiency. Functionalisation of nanoparticles with low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGylation) is one of the strategies to enhance their penetration through mucus. Recently a number of other polymers were explored as alternatives to PEGylation. These alternatives include poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazolines), polysarcosine, poly(vinyl alcohol), other hydroxyl-containing non-ionic water-soluble polymers, zwitterionic polymers (polybetaines) and mucolytic enzymes. This review discusses the studies reporting the use of these polymers or potential application to facilitate mucus permeation of nanoparticles.
黏液是一种高度水合的黏弹性凝胶，存在于我们身体的各种湿润表面，包括眼睛、鼻腔、口腔、胃肠道、呼吸道和生殖道。它是一种非常有效的屏障，可以防止有害颗粒、病毒和细菌进入人体。然而，黏液的保护功能也阻碍了药物和纳米药物的扩散，这大大降低了它们的效率。用低分子量聚乙二醇（PEG）对纳米颗粒进行功能化是增强其穿透黏液能力的策略之一。最近，人们还探索了其他一些聚合物作为 PEG 替代物。这些替代物包括聚（2-烷基-2-恶唑啉）、聚肌氨酸、聚乙烯醇、其他含羟基的非离子水溶性聚合物、两性离子聚合物（聚甜菜碱）和黏液溶解酶。本文综述了报道这些聚合物的研究或潜在应用，以促进纳米颗粒穿透黏液。
