Synthesis and Characterization of Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Produced for Drug Delivery in Viscoelastic Solution

Drug delivery systems enable transportation of drugs in the body, controlling the time, rate or place of the release rendering them ideal for local treatments. When treating joint diseases such as osteoarthritis of the knee the therapeutically substances are given intra-particularly. Magnetic nanoparticles are used so that the solution containing the treatment can be easily directed from the outside with the help of magnets allowing the drug to reach the maximum concentration at the area of interest. Functionalization of nanoparticles is necessary to obtain viscoelastic solutions with optimal physico-chemical and medical properties. This paper presents a superior method of delivering intraarticular hyaluronic acid using iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe2O3) which were embedded in tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMOH) and coated using a layer-by-layer technique with hyaluronic acid and inulin. TMOH was chosen for a better dispersion of nanoparticles in the viscoelastic solution, eliminating the risk of agglomerations, hyaluronic acid and inulin being used for medical purposes.