OMNIPHILIC POLYSACCHARIDE-BASED NANOCARRIERS FOR A MODULAR MOLECULAR DELIVERY IN A BROAD RANGE OF BIO-SYSTEMS

Self-adjusting omniphilic nanocarriers (OPNs), capable of surmounting cross-phase barriers and efficiently delivering active agents, were synthesized via a Schiff base reaction between chitosan, an antimicrobial polysaccharide, and a series of bioactive aldehydes. Experimental studies supported by atomistic molecular dynamic simulations revealed that OPNs can encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecular cargo, shuttle it within either aqueous or lipid environments, and deliver it past cross-phase barriers as was demonstrated by a Franz cell diffusion test. In addition, OPNs were designed to include pH responsiveness in their N-imine dynamic covalent bonds, thus allowing bioactivity amplification in their encapsulated agents. This boost was demonstrated in vivo to delay fungal proliferation. The presented OPNs may serve as a biocompatible nanocarriers for an effective delivery of active agents in pharmacology, food cosmetic and other fields.

This work was recently published at ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.¹ The lecture will also consist our additional finding on rationally designed delivery systems based on biomacromolecules that are under current investigation in our lab.

¹ R. Rutenberg, D. Galaktionova, G. Golden, Y. Cohen, Y. Levi-Kalisman, G. Cohen, P. Král, and E. Poverenov. Omniphilic Polysaccharide-Based Nanocarriers for Modular Molecular Delivery in a Broad Range of Biosystems. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Article ASAP.DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b12855