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US 2014/0004251 A1Published application
Hollow biodegradable nanospheres and nanoshells for delivery of therapeutic and/or imaging molecules
AssigneeNational University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG)
InventorsAbhay Pandit, Gildas Rethore, Hemantkumar Naik, Yvonne Lang, David Finn
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Abstract
A polymeric hollow nanoshell or nanosphere for release of an agent is described, wherein the hollow nanosphere comprises at least one biodegradable polymer, characterised in that the polymer is cross-linked. The biodegradable mono-disperse nanospheres described are suitable for use as carriers of biomolecules, therapeutic agents and/or imaging agents.
Claims14
A process for the preparation of a natural or synthetic biodegradable polymeric hollow nanosphere comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a template comprising polymeric polystyrene beads, mesoporous silica or diatomaceous silica;
- (ii) treating said template with a functionalising group to produce a functionalised template,
- (iii) treating said functionalised template with a solution of one or more natural or synthetic biodegradable polymers selected from the group consisting of:
- collagen, elastin, chitosan, hyaluronan, alginate, polyesters, PEG-based polymers, dendritic or hyperbranched polymers, and combinations thereof, and agitating to form a polymeric coating on said template;
- (iv) cross-linking said coating with a cross-linking agent selected from the group comprising a dendrimer, a hyper-branched dendritic polymer and linear polymeric system, and combinations thereof, wherein the molar ratio of reactive —COOH or —NH2 groups in said dendrimer cross-linker to reactive groups —COOH or —NH2 in said polymer is in the range 50:1 to 1:50;
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- (v) removing the template by treating said template with a solvent.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.