Mucoadhesive polydopamine-coated nanoparticle-mediated inner ear drug delivery for hearing loss treatment.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the potential of mucoadhesive polymeric nanoparticles coated with polydopamine (Dopa-NPs) for inner ear drug delivery. Dopa, inspired by mussel adhesion proteins, leveraged the mucoadhesive properties of NPs and enhanced their retention within the cochlea. Dopa-NPs were compared with non-adhesive uncoated control NPs to reveal their safety and drug delivery efficiency. The safety evaluation demonstrated no toxicity during in vitro test using HEI-OC1 cells and in vivo test using mouse with auditory function assessment. When coumarin-encapsulated NPs were administered through intratympanic injection to mice, Dopa-NPs provided intense fluorescence in the inner ear compared to non-adhesive control NPs. Furthermore, dexamethasone (Dex)-encapsulated Dopa-NPs exhibited sig

SUBMITTER: Kim S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505578 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature