Biomateriais à base de alginato para a administração de óxido nítrico

Resumo

Alginate is a biopolymer extracted from brown algae species, which has been extensively used as a hydrogel in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost, mucoadhesiveness, and high capacity to associate and release therapeutic molecules. Polymeric nanoparticles are effective in delivering drugs for target cells and to maintain a sustainable drug release This project aims to prepare and characterize alginate hydrogels and nanoparticles for the incorporation of nitric oxide (NO) donors. The free radical NO is an important biological molecule that controls several biological processes. The encapsulation of NO donors, such as S-nitrosothiols, into alginate nanoparticles has been reported to enhance the stability of the NO donor, which is suitable for biomedical applications, allowing a localized and sustained NO release. The in vitro toxicity, stability, and NO release profile of the nanoparticles and hydrogels will also be evaluated.