Use of alginate oligomers to enhance the translocation of micro/nanoparticles across mucus layers

Abstract

A method for translocating a cationic micro/nanoparticle across a mucus layer, the method including (a) contacting the mucus layer with at least one alginate oligomer, the alginate oligomer having at least 70% mannuronate residues, together with the cationic micro/nanoparticle; or (b)(i) contacting the cationic micro/nanoparticle with an alginate oligomer having at least 70% mannuronate residues thereby forming a micro/nanoparticle carrying the alginate oligomer, and (b)(ii) contacting the mucus layer with the micro/nanoparticle prepared in step (b)(i). There is also provided a method for translocating a molecule of interest across a mucus layer including contacting the mucus layer with a micro/nanoparticle which is formed of self-assembling micro/nanoparticle forming components, wherein at least one is a cationic micro/nanoparticle forming agent and at least one is an alginate oligomer which has at least 70% mannuronate residues, and further comprises the molecule of interest, optionally wherein the molecule of interest is covalently bound to one or more of the self-assembling micro/nanoparticle forming components.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.