Optimizing molecular weight of octyl chitosan as drug carrier for improving tumor therapeutic efficacy.

ABSTRACT: Macromolecular drug carriers have attracted much attention taking advantage of passive tumor targeting property and excellent biocompatibility. For many biomedical applications, however, the effectiveness of the carriers is insufficient, which complicate further development into clinical use. Here, we systematically investigated the effects of molecular weight (from 1KDa to 300KDa) of macromolecular drug carrier, octyl chitosan, on tumor accumulation and penetration, as well as drug loading and releasing profiles. It was found that the molecular weight of chitosan influenced the cellular uptake and pharmacokinetic behavior of the nanocarriers, which ultimately determined their drug delivery efficiency. Interestingly, increased molecular weight of chitosan decreased its cellular uptake but

SUBMITTER: Zhang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5609998 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature