Nanoparticule based drug delivery to the inner ear

As a potential drug delivery vehicle to hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear, a nanoparticle system was developed. An amphiphilic polymer, a kind of substance with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics, made up the nanoparticle. The reason polylactide (PLA) was chosen was because it can decompose naturally without harming the environment. Furthermore, PLA is regarded as biodegradable, which makes it a secure choice for a range of biological applications. The initial polymer blocks of polycaprolactone (PCL) and PLA were synthesized using the ring opening polymerization (ROP) process to get the desired diblock copolymer structure. Subsequently, a second polymer block was able to grow after CPADB, a chain transfer agent, was joined to the original blocks. Using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, the second blocks were grown over the first blocks to produce the diblock polymers PCL-b-p(OEGMEMA) and PLA-b-p(OEGMEMA). Polymeric micelles were prepared using these amphiphilic polymers. It was established their size, drug loading, and stability. The prepared micelles' size, drug loading capacity, and stability were all carefully described. It was discovered that similar micelle sizes, critical micelle concentration (CMC) values, and drug release profiles were caused by the polymers' similar molecular weights and block ratios. The release kinetics of the drug from the micelles was investigated in several buffer solutions, such as Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), artificial endolymph (a-EL), and artificial perilymph (a-PL), during in vitro drug release assays. Notably, with a 5% dexamethasone loading in the a-EL buffer, the release profiles of the PLA-b-p(OEGMEMA) and PCL-b-p(OEGMEMA) were examined and showed similarities.