Spray drying of siRNA-containing PLGA nanoparticles intended for inhalation

Ditte Marie Krohn Jensen, Dongmei Cun, Morten Jonas Maltesen, Sven Frøkjær, Hanne Mørck Nielsen, Camilla Foged

143 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Local delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to the lungs constitutes a promising new area in drug delivery. The present study evaluated parameters of importance for spray drying of siRNA-loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) into nanocomposite microparticles intended for inhalation. The spray drying process was optimised using a statistical design of experiment and by evaluating powder characteristics upon systematic variation of the formulation parameters. Concentration, carbohydrate excipient (trehalose, lactose and mannitol) and the ratio of NP to excipient were varied to monitor the effects on moisture content, particle morphology, particle size and powder yield. The identified optimum conditions were applied for spray drying of siRNA-loaded nanocomposite microparticles, resulting in a product with a low water content (0.78% w/w) and an aerodynamic particle diameter considered suitable for inhalation. The use of mannitol in the formulation allowed a significantly lower moisture content than trehalose and lactose. The inclusion of 50% (w/w) or higher amounts of NPs resulted in a marked change in the surface morphology of the spray-dried particles. Importantly, the integrity and biological activity of the siRNA were preserved during the spray drying process. In conclusion, the present results show that spray drying is a suitable technique for producing nanocomposite microparticles comprising siRNA-containing PLGA NPs for potential use in inhalation therapy.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Controlled Release
Volume142
Pages (from-to)138-145
ISSN0168-3659
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2010
Externally publishedYes

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