Criticality of Surface Characteristics of Intravenous Iron–Carbohydrate Nanoparticle Complexes: Implications for Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

Un-complexed polynuclear ferric oxyhydroxide cannot be administered safely or effectively to patients. When polynuclear iron cores are formed with carbohydrates of various structures, stable complexes with surface carbohydrates driven by multiple interacting sites and forces are formed. These comple...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Felix Funk, Beat Flühmann, Amy E. Barton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/4/2140
Description
Summary:Un-complexed polynuclear ferric oxyhydroxide cannot be administered safely or effectively to patients. When polynuclear iron cores are formed with carbohydrates of various structures, stable complexes with surface carbohydrates driven by multiple interacting sites and forces are formed. These complexes deliver iron in a usable form to the body while avoiding the serious adverse effects of un-complexed forms of iron, such as polynuclear ferric oxyhydroxide. The rate and extent of plasma clearance and tissue biodistribution is variable among the commercially available iron–carbohydrate complexes and is driven principally by the surface characteristics of the complexes which dictate macrophage opsonization. The surface chemistry differences between the iron–carbohydrate complexes results in significant differences in in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles as well as adverse event profiles, demonstrating that the entire iron–carbohydrate complex furnishes the pharmacologic action for these complex products. Currently available physicochemical characterization methods have limitations in biorelevant matrices resulting in challenges in defining critical quality attributes for surface characteristics for this class of complex nanomedicines.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067