Karayianni Maria, Sentoukas Theodore, Skandalis Athanasios, Pippa Natassa, Pispas Stergios
Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635 Athens, Greece.
Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34, M. Curie-Sklodowska St., 41-819 Zabrze, Poland.
Pharmaceutics. 2023 Jun 29;15(7):1849. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071849.
Chitosan is a naturally occurring polymer derived from the deacetylation of chitin, which is an abundant carbohydrate found mainly in the shells of various marine and terrestrial (micro)organisms. Chitosan has been extensively used to construct nanoparticles (NPs), which are biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, easy to prepare, and can function as effective drug delivery systems. Moreover, chitosan NPs have been employed in gene and vaccine delivery, as well as advanced cancer therapy, and they can also serve as new therapeutic tools against viral infections. In this review, we summarize the most recent developments in the field of chitosan-based NPs intended as nucleic acid delivery vehicles and gene therapy vectors. Special attention is given to the technological aspects of chitosan complexes for nucleic acid delivery.
壳聚糖是一种天然存在的聚合物,由几丁质脱乙酰化得到,几丁质是一种丰富的碳水化合物,主要存在于各种海洋和陆地(微)生物体的外壳中。壳聚糖已被广泛用于构建纳米颗粒(NPs),这些纳米颗粒具有生物相容性、可生物降解、无毒、易于制备,并且可以作为有效的药物递送系统。此外,壳聚糖纳米颗粒已用于基因和疫苗递送以及先进的癌症治疗,它们还可以作为对抗病毒感染的新治疗工具。在这篇综述中,我们总结了作为核酸递送载体和基因治疗载体的壳聚糖基纳米颗粒领域的最新进展。特别关注壳聚糖复合物用于核酸递送的技术方面。