Nano-in-nano enteric protein delivery system: Coaxial Eudragit® L100-55 fibers containing Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) nanogels

SONZOGNI, ANA; RIVERO, GUADALUPE; GONZALEZ, VERÓNICA D. G.; ABRAHAM, GUSTAVO; CALDERON, MARCELO; MINARI, ROQUE J

Biomaterials Science

Royal Society of Chemistry

Año: 2023

2047-4830

Oral protein delivery holds significant promise as an effective therapeutic strategy fortreating a wide range of diseases. However, effective absorption of proteins faces challengesdue to biological barriers such as harsh conditions of the stomach and the low permeabilityof mucous membranes. To address these challenges, this article presents a novel nano-innano platform designed for enteric protein delivery. This platform, obtained byelectrospinning, involves a coaxial arrangement comprising poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)nanogels (NGs) enclosed within nanofibers of Eudragit® L100-55 (EU), a pH-responsivepolymer. The pH-selective solubility of EU ensures the protection of NGs during theirpassage through the stomach, where the fibers remain intact at low pH, and releases them inthe intestine where EU dissolves. The switchable characteristic of this nano-in-nano platformis confirmed by using NGs loaded with a model protein (ovalbumin), which is selectivelyreleased when the intestinal pH is achieved. The versatility of this nano-in-nano deliveryplatform is demonstrated by the ability to modify the fibers dissolution profile simply byadjusting the concentration of EU used in the electrospinning process. Furthermore, by tuningthe properties of NGs, the potential applications of this platform can be further extended, paving the way for diverse therapeutic possibilities.