Developing biodegradable nanoparticles loaded with steroid for nasal drug delivery

Intranasal drug administration is noninvasive and convenient for patients, it is an appropriate option for the local treatment of nasal symptoms. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a highly prevalent disease that involves long-term inflammations of the nasal mucosa. The therapeutic approach for patients with CRS involves a complex combination of surgical and medical therapy, including topical nasal and oral steroids. However, despite advances in surgical techniques and equipment, the potential for severe complications during the postoperative period remains. In the present study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with mometasone furoate (MF) were generated using nanoprecipetation method to facilitate local controlled release of the sterriod into the sinuses over a prolonged time, and to minimize complications such as inflammation and mucosal edema. MF NPs were characterized for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI) using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and their morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). MF-NPs presented a mean diameter of 118 nm and zeta potential of -32 mV with high encapsulation yield of 90% as determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Moreover, MF exhibited sustained release from NPs over 7 days in vitro with an initial burst release of 25%. Having demonstrated the ability to load MF in PLGA NPs with high encapsulation yields, these NPs urge the need for additional investigations to demonstrate their therapeutic potential in nasal delivery applications.