Nonporous versus Mesoporous Bioinspired Polydopamine Nanoparticles for Skin Drug Delivery

Abstract

The use of polydopamine-based bioinspired nanomaterials has shed new light on advanced drug delivery arising from their efficient surface functionalization. More recently, the polydopamine self-assemblies formed in two different modalities, i.e., nonporous and mesoporous nanoparticles, have begun to attract attention due to their expedient and versatile properties. However, their possibility for use in dermal drug delivery for local therapy, as well as their interaction with the skin, has not yet been demonstrated. Our study aimed to compare and explore the feasibility of the self-assembled nonporous polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA) and mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (mPDA) for local skin drug delivery. The formation of the PDA and mPDA structures was confirmed by the UV–vis–NIR absorption spectrum, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. Using retinoic acid (RA) as the model drug, their effects on drug loading, release, photostability, skin penetration, and radical scavenging were investigated. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were introduced to probe their delivery routes and possible interaction with the skin. The results indicated that both PDA and mPDA could reduce the photodegradation of RA, and mPDA showed significantly better radical scavenging activity and drug loading capacity. The ex vivo permeation study revealed that both PDA and mPDA significantly enhanced the delivery of RA into the deep skin layers by comparison with the RA solution, in which follicular and intercellular pathways existed, and alteration in the structure of stratum corneum was observed. In light of drug loading capacity, size controllability, physical stability, as well as radical scavenging activity, mPDA was more preferable due to the improvement of these factors. This work demonstrated the feasibility and promising application of PDA and mPDA nanoparticles for dermal drug delivery, and the comparative concept of these two types of biomaterials can provide implications for their use in other fields.

Polyelectrolytes for Environmental, Agricultural, and Medical Applications

“…The encapsulation of the drug in nanoparticles resulted in a complex formation, suggesting an improvement in therapeutic effects after treatment [170]. Similarly, bioinspired nanoparticles based on polydopamine for drug release on the skin were reported by Chen et al They presented porous and non-porous mesostructures, which, after different tests, concluded that they would reduce the photodegradation of retinoic acid as well as increase drug loading capacity [171]. Likewise, nanoparticles used for cancer therapy were reported by Escareño et al using microfluidics-assisted conjugation in laminar flow to establish a directed and reproducible assembly.…”

Polydopamine Nanosystems in Drug Delivery: Effect of Size, Morphology, and Surface Charge

“…Despite the fact that this is well-reported for nanomaterials like silica [92] and MOFs [93], the effects of porosity on the efficiency of drug delivery platforms based on melanin-like materials is just at the very beginning. On that topic, Chen et al have compared the efficiency of PDA NPs and MPDA NPs as potential drug carriers [94]. They reported the formulation of an antioxidant and photoprotective nanoplatform for the dispatchment of a photosensitive PAI, known as retinoic acid (RA).…”

One‐pot immobilization of formate dehydrogenase on silica nanoparticles based on catechol chemistry with or without polyethyleneimine

“…At the same time, the monomer and oligomer engage in intermittent π-π interactions, leading to an uneven arrangement among oligomers and the creation of a mesoporous structure. 63,64 The values of specific surface area of several materials are listed in Table 2. PDA-SiO 2 has a higher specific surface area than PDA/PEI-SiO 2 , which is because of the stronger Michael addition and Schiff base reaction between PDA and PEI than the π-π interaction force during PDA deposition alone, resulting in a denser coating.…”