Development of Nanoparticle Drug-Delivery Systems for The Inner Ear

Abstract

Hearing loss has become the most common sensory nerve disorder worldwide, with no effective treatment strategy. Low-permeability and limited blood supply to the blood–labyrinth barrier limit the effective delivery and efficacy of therapeutic drugs in the inner ear. Nanoparticle (NP)-based drugs have shown benefits of stable controlled release and functional surface modification, and NP-based delivery systems have become a research hotspot. In this review, we discuss the development of new targeted drug-delivery systems based on the biocompatibility and safety of different NPs in the cochlea, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their prescription methods and approaches. We believe that targeted NP-based drug-delivery systems will be effective treatments for hearing loss.

Keywords::

• blood–labyrinth barrier
• hearing loss
• inner ear
• nanoparticle drug-delivery systems
• nanoparticles

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870732), Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Key Project (2018PT-01) and Xijing Boost-Advanced Discipline Construction Project (XJZT14X07; XJZT18MDT07; XJZT18X23; XJZT18D16). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870732), Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Key Project (2018PT-01) and Xijing Boost-Advanced Discipline Construction Project (XJZT14X07; XJZT18MDT07; XJZT18X23; XJZT18D16). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.