Synthesis and evaluation of cyclosporine A-loaded polysialic acid-polycaprolactone micelles for rheumatoid arthritis.

Polysialic acid (PSA) has been identified as a natural, hydrophilic polymer that can be used to extend circulation time and improve therapeutic efficacy when used as the basis of drug carrier systems. Here, to further investigate the potential of PSA to alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of associated therapeutics, PSA-based micelles were formed via self-assembly of PSA grafted with polycaprolactone (PCL) at a critical micelle concentration of 84.7±13.

Polysialic acid-based micelles for encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs.

Despite improvements relative to unmodified counterparts, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugation may not be the ideal solution for improving circulatory stability of current nanoparticle carriers or free drugs. Polysialic acid (PSA), a natural polymer for which the body possesses no receptors, has been conjugated directly to biologically active molecules to prevent premature clearance; however, this concept has not yet been applied to nanoparticle drug carrier systems. In the current study, PSA was modified with a long-chain hydrocarbon through reaction of the carboxylic acid side groups with N-decylamine (DA).