OPINION
Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)-based drug formulations: the micro- and nanostructure
1 Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow
2 Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Correspondence should be addressed: Anton P. Bonartsev
Leninskie gory, 1 bl. 12, Moscow, 119234; ur.liam@ranob_tna
Funding: this work was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation (project 17-74-20104, section 1) and the grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 15-29-04856, section 2).
Biodegradable and biocompatible polymers referred to as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are extensively used in the production of pharmaceutical drugs to ensure sustained release, targeted delivery, reduced toxicity, and increased stability of the drug substance. Although the pharmaceutical industry ordinarily exploits chemically synthesized PHAs, bioengineered polymers are also starting to enjoy growing interest. This article focuses on the research and development of drug formulations based on natural PHAs that act as auxiliary substances for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and hormonal medications, as well as pain killers, and discusses the association between their properties and the micro/nano structure of the synthetic drug. The problems associated with the poor performance of active components in traditional dosage forms can be overcome in PHAs-based formulations.
Keywords: nanoparticles, microparticles, nanostructure, poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates), sustained release, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)