Nanomedicine strategies for drug delivery to the ear.

The highly compartmentalized anatomy of the ear aggravates drug delivery, which is used to combat hearing-related diseases. Novel nanosized drug vehicles are thought to overcome the limitations of classic approaches. In this article, we summarize the nanotechnology-based efforts involving nano-objects, such as liposomes, polymersomes, lipidic nanocapsules and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles, as well as nanocoatings of implants to provide an efficient means for drug transfer in the ear.

A new tool to ensure the fluorescent dye labeling stability of nanocarriers: a real challenge for fluorescence imaging.

Numerous studies on nanocarriers use fluorescent dye labeling to investigate their biodistribution or cellular trafficking. However, when the fluorescence dye is not grafted to the nanocarrier, the question of the stability of the labeling arises. How can it be validated that the fluorescence observed during an experiment corresponds to the nanocarriers, and not to the free dye released from the nanocarriers? Studying the integrity of the labeling is challenging.

Endocytic trafficking of silica nanoparticles in a cell line derived from the organ of Corti.

Background: Due to their biochemical versatility, nanoparticles (NPs) have become one of the most important future carriers for drugs and genes. NP-mediated delivery could enable an effective pharmacotherapy to the inner ear and combat hearing loss.

Aims: This study investigates the endocytic trafficking of silica NPs within HEI-OC1 cells, a cell line derived from the inner ear.