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

Abstract

A micro/nanoparticle formed of self-assembling micro/nanoparticle forming components, wherein at least one self-assembling micro/nanoparticle forming component is a cationic micro/nanoparticle forming component and at least one is an alginate oligomer which has at least 70% mannuronate residues, and the micro/nanoparticle further includes a molecule of interest, optionally wherein the molecule of interest is covalently bound to one or more of the self-assembling micro/nanoparticle forming components. Also disclosed are methods for translocating a cationic micro/nanoparticle across a mucus layer including 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 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 contacting the mucus layer with the micro/nanoparticle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.