Applications
Polykeltal nanoparticles (PKNs) represent a novel and effective drug delivery vehicle, which appear to target macrophages selectively. Currently, PKNs can be used to incorporate any lipophilic pharmaceutical or lipophilic peptide. Inventors are now working on adapting the reverse-phase emulsion technique which will allow for the incorporation of hydrophilic compounds including nucleic acids and siRNA. PKNs represent a prime drug delivery vehicle for conditions, like shock syndrome, in which macrophage activation plays an important role in the pathophysiology.
Advantages
The chemical structure of the polyketal polymer makes possible the production of stable nanoparticles with defined physical-chemical characteristics, capable of incorporating significant quantities of lipophilic drugs. A key feature of this polymer is that it is acid-hyrolysable, so in the acidic phagolysosome, the polymer falls apart into small biodegradable and non-toxic subunits and release its payload into the cytoplasm of the target cell.