Nanocarriers Made of Natural Fatty Acids: Modulation of Their Release Profiles through Photo-Crosslinking.

Natural fatty acids are attractive carrier materials for drug delivery, but their rapid dissolution and degradation in vivo calls for new strategies to enhance their stability. Here we report a simple and versatile method capable of photo-crosslinking carriers made of natural fatty acids for drug delivery under controlled release. By optimizing the crosslinking density, the nanoscale carriers show a high drug loading efficiency, together with a stable network structure for minimal degradation in a body fluid mimic. Fluorescence microscopy analysis also reveals the exceptional intracellular stability of the crosslinked network, resulting in negligible cytotoxicity toward A549 cells up to 24 h when loaded with a potent anticancer drug. We further extend this strategy to microscale carriers fabricated using electrospray. Upon photo-crosslinking, the carriers show a retarded release of nerve growth factor, resulting in slower neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglion. This work holds promise for addressing the efficacy and safety issues critical to nanomedicine and related applications.