Polymeric nanoparticles

Ijeoma F. Uchegbu, Aikaterina Lalatsa, Dennis Wong

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

    Abstract

    Self-assembling polymers, which are either amphiphilic block copolymers with hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks, hydrophilic polymer backbones substituted with hydrophobic units or polymers with a low aqueous solubility, may all be used to prepare aqueous dispersions of polymeric nanoparticles. The amphiphilic variants form polymeric micelles and polymeric bilayer vesicles. The hydrophobic polymers form dense amorphous polymeric particles. Polymeric particles, of whichever nature, may be loaded with hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, and the bioavailability of the drug compound is altered by this encapsulation within a polymeric nanoparticle. This simple concept has been exploited heavily to yield enhancements in oral, tumour and brain bioavailability and some of these polymeric nanoparticle formulations have undergone clinical testing and even been commercialised, e.g. the nanoparticle paclitaxel formulation Abraxane.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationFundamentals of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience
    EditorsIjeoma F. Uchegbu, Andreas G. Schatzlein, Woei Ping Cheng, Aikaterini Lalatsa
    Place of PublicationNew York
    PublisherSpringer
    Pages211-234
    ISBN (Electronic)9781461491644
    ISBN (Print)9781461491637
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2013

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