Hyaluronic Acid in Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

− Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, non-immunogenic and non-inflammatory linear polysaccharide, which has been used for various medical applications including arthritis treatment, wound healing, ocular surgery, and tissue augmentation. Because of its mucoadhesive property and safety, HA has received much attention as a tool for drug delivery system development. It has been used as a drug delivery carrier in both nonparenteral and parenteral routes. The nonparenteral application includes the ocular and nasal delivery systems. On the other hand, its use in parenteral systems has been considered important as in the case of sustained release formulation of protein drugs through subcutaneous injection. Particles and hydrogels by various methods using HA and HA derivatives as well as by conjugation with other polymer have been the focus of many studies. Furthermore, the affinity of HA to the CD44 receptor which is overexpressed in various tumor cells makes HA an important means of cancer targeted drug delivery. Current trends and development of HA as a tool for drug delivery will be outlined in this review.

Comparison of the Cytotoxicities and Wound Healing Effects of Hyaluronan, Carbomer, and Alginate on Skin Cells In Vitro

“…As a kind of hydrogel matrix, HA has the advantages of good rheological behavior, 14 high viscosity at low concentration, 15,16 moisture retention, excellent biocompatibility, good bioadhesive, and drug delivery properties. 17,18 In this study, the authors compared the cytotoxicity and wound healing effects of HA and 2 commonly used hydrogel matrices, carbomer and sodium alginate, on skin cells. The wound healing effects were evaluated by investigating the repairing ability to thermalinjured keratinocytes and the effects on keratinocyte migration and scratched wound closure.…”

Anti-obesity potential of enzymatic fragments of hyaluronan on high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice

“…In this context, the development of natural product-based medication or nutraceuticals is gaining importance because their minimal side effects and maximal efficiency [8,9]. Hyaluronan is a major component of ECM and is widely used in pharmaceutical and medical applications, such as arthritis treatment [18], ophthalmic surgery [19,20], drug delivery [21], and tissue engineering [22], owing to its unique physicochemical properties and various biological functions. It was reported that the downregulation of hyaluronan inhibited adipogenesis [15].…”

Natural Polysaccharide based Nanoparticles for Drug/Gene Deliv­ery

“…These outstanding properties expand its application in pharmaceutical and medical sciences. 51 In the field of drug delivery, a small number of systems are able to accumulate at the tumor site through the carrier/receptor interaction. HA is one of the biopolymers having the good potential for passive tumor targeting.…”