Stabilization and cellular delivery of chitosan-polyphosphate nanoparticles by incorporation of iron.

Chitosan (CS) nanoparticles are typically obtained by complexation with tripolyphosphate (TPP) ions, or more recently using triphosphate group-containing drugs such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is an active molecule we aim to deliver in order to restore its depletion in macrophages, when associated with their death leading to plaque rupture in atherosclerotic lesions. Despite high interest in CS nanoparticles for drug delivery, due to the biodegradability of CS and to the ease of the preparation process, these systems tend to readily disintegrate when diluted in physiological media.