ANNOUNCEMENTS
Growing interest towards natural-therapeutics have led to exploration of a plethora of biomolecules. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is one such biomolecule grabbing focus for its extensive applications. HA is one of the four molecules classified as Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are an important component of the extracellular matrix. HA is a supremely abundant GAG present in skin, serving multitude functions depending on its weight. The body synthesizes HA in a high molecular weight form (HMWHA) which is fragmented into lower molecular weight forms (LMWHA), both displaying different and sometimes opposing properties. LMWHA is used in dermal formulations as a drug carrier. While HMWHA has many therapeutic effects, its usage is limited since it can’t penetrate the skin. To make dermal delivery of HMWHA possible, we tried to prepare its nano-formulations with a cell penetrating peptide (CPP). Such peptides have been used before for dermal delivery of cargo molecules without harming the skin integrity. CPPs being cationic in nature are known to form nanocomplexes with negatively charged molecules via electrostatic interactions. Through this study, we aimed to characterize such nanocomplexes prepared at different weight-by- weight ratios along with the analysis of their stability and cytocompatibility. Our study gave promising results for the use of CPPs as HMWHA delivery system since it formed cationic nanocomplexes at HA:Peptide ratio of 1:2 and 1:3, with size below 150 nm, taken after 24 hours from synthesis which is favorable for topical delivery. The complexes stayed homogenous for up to 96 hours as suggested by the PDI however, there was a reduction in their compactness resulting in a gradual increase in size and reduction in zeta potential. Complexes prepared at 1:2 ratio were more cytocompatible than those prepared at 1:3 as indicated by cellular viability which was 92% for 1:2 and 74% for 1:3. Thus, this study open avenues for a novel approach to deliver therapeutically valuable HMWHA in a non-invasive manner.
Keywords: Glycosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Cell Penetrating Peptides, Nanocomplexes, Dermal Delivery.
