Chapter 11 - Aquasomes: a novel nanocarrier system for drug delivery

Abstract

Nanobiotechnology has witnesses enormous developments in recent decades, providing both new peptides and proteins with therapeutic properties, along with different carrier systems able to overcome the intrinsic obstacles to an effective delivery. Aquasomes are emerging as one of these nanocarrier systems, presenting particularly attractive characteristics for the delivery of biologics. Taking advantage of the self-assembly properties of different materials, they are composed of three different layers, namely, a solid ceramic core and a coating oligomer, to which ultimately the bioactive molecule is adsorbed. The polyhydroxy oligomer provides protection against the degradation of the active cargo, preserving its structure and functionality. In this chapter, the fundamental characteristics of aquasomes will be described, and the different stages required for their production, as well as the techniques involved to characterize the success of each of these steps, will be discussed. Diverse effective applications of aquasomes as nanocarriers for drug delivery will be presented, both for the administration of simple, small-molecule drugs, and particularly for what concerns the delivery of protein and peptides. What make aquasomes particularly appealing as drug delivery agents, namely, their ability to preserve the functionality of protein cargos and their immunoadjuvant activity, will be emphasized with examples of their successful applications.