Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural polymers produced under specific conditions by certain organisms, primarily bacteria, as a source of energy. These up-and-coming bioplastics are an undeniable asset in enhancing the effectiveness of drug delivery systems, which demand characteristics like non-immunogenicity, a sustained and controlled drug release, targeted delivery, as well as a high drug loading capacity. Given their biocompatibility, biodegradability, modifiability, and compatibility with hydrophobic drugs, PHAs often provide a superior alternative to free drug therapy or treatments using other polymeric nanocarriers. The many formulation methods of existing PHA nanocarriers, such as emulsion solvent evaporation, nanoprecipitation, dialysis, and in situ polymerization, are explained in this review. Due to their flexibility that allows for a vessel tailormade to its intended application, PHA nanocarriers have found their place in diverse therapy options like anticancer and anti-infective treatments, which are among the applications of PHA nanocarriers discussed in this article. Despite their many positive attributes, the advancement of PHA nanocarriers to clinical trials of drug delivery applications has been stunted due to the polymers’ natural hydrophobicity, controversial production materials, and high production costs, among others. These challenges are explored in this review, alongside their existing solutions and alternatives.
Highlights
In today’s modern society, the leaps and bounds taken by medical advancements are no stranger to humankind
PHAs are an outstanding group of bioplastics renowned for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of modification, ability to encapsulate drugs, as well their impressive pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics that surpass those of free drug therapy or other polymeric nanocarriers
PHA nanocarriers are superior in the sense that they can degrade naturally into components that are nontoxic to the human body
Summary
In today’s modern society, the leaps and bounds taken by medical advancements are no stranger to humankind. To avoid undesirable side effects and enhance healing, it is essential that the drug concentration be sustained at its optimal therapeutic range, which would involve a delicate blend of an appropriate number of doses, a suitable administration route, a controlled rate of drug release, as well as the right type of DDS [2] Given these stringent requirements to ensure effective treatment, it is crucial that promising options for DDSs be explored thoroughly, and one such candidate is the nanocarrier. Nanocarriers are a relatively new delivery system characterized by therapeutic of par ticles with a size of less than 500 nm [3,4,5] Their high surface-area-to-volume ratio gives rise to many desirable characteristics such as enhanced biodistribution, increased stability, and improved bioactivity and pharmacokinetics [6].
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