Drug delivery systems based on non-inmunogenic biopolymers

Abstract

Biopolymers have attracted considerable interest for the development of drug delivery systems (DDSs) owing to their biocompatibility, nontoxicity, renewability, and mild processing conditions. These polymers are degradable in vivo, either enzymatically or nonenzymatically, and can be metabolized and excreted via normal physiological pathways. Application of biopolymers in living systems would reduce immunological reactions and toxicity that occur when a synthetic polymer is used in a host. There are currently many different biopolymers reported in the literature that have been evaluated for use in the development of DDSs. In this context, this chapter presents the outstanding contributions in the area of biopolymeric nanoparticles as DDSs, including the main types of biopolymers used in their preparation.