(240f) Exploring the Effect of Mucoadhesive Coatings on PLGA Vascular Adhesion and Protein Adsorption for Improved Drug Delivery Systems

Vascular-targeted drug delivery systems require the successful localization and adhesion of drug carriers to diseased sites through the utilization of inflammatory biomarkers. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a negatively charged copolymer, is the most appealing material because of its tunable biodegradability, biocompatibility, and FDA approval. Unfortunately, the ability of PLGA to adhere to an inflamed endothelium is reduced in the presence of plasma proteins. The surface modification of PLGA with mucoadhesive coatings, such as chitosan (CS) and glycol chitosan (GC), is a potential approach in improving its adhesion by altering the surface hydrophobicity and charge impacting protein adsorption. Here, we aimed to characterize the adhesion and plasma protein coronas of PLGA, CSPLGA, and GCPLGA particles conjugated with a targeting ligand in physiological conditions. Using a parallel plate flow chamber assay, PLGA, CSPLGA, and GCPLGA particles were exposed to an inflamed endothelium in the presence of red blood cells in buffer or plasma. Our results indicate that GCPLGA particles significantly improve adhesion to an inflamed endothelium compared to PLGA suggesting a difference in plasma protein adsorption. The level of adhesion is dependent on shear rate, donor plasma, and ligand density. The biocompatibility of these carriers will need to be examined. Ultimately, this contributes information to drug carrier design, specifically in terms of favorable surface hydrophobicity, charge, and protein coronas obtained.