A mussel-inspired film for adhesion to wet buccal tissue and efficient buccal drug delivery

Administration of drugs via the buccal route has attracted much attention in recent years. However, developing systems with satisfactory adhesion under wet conditions and adequate drug bioavailability still remains a challenge. Here, we propose a mussel-inspired mucoadhesive film. Ex vivo models show that this film can achieve strong adhesion to wet buccal tissues (up to 38.72 +/- 10.94 kPa). We also demonstrate that the adhesion mechanism of this film relies on both physical association and covalent bonding between the film and mucus. Additionally, the film with incorporated polydopamine nanoparticles shows superior advantages for transport across the mucosal barrier, with improved drug bioavailability (similar to 3.5-fold greater than observed with oral delivery) and therapeutic efficacy in oral mucositis models (similar to 6.0-fold improvement in wound closure at day 5 compared with that observed with no treatment). We anticipate that this platform might aid the development of tissue adhesives and inspire the design of nanoparticle-based buccal delivery systems.

Automated summary

The study introduces a mussel-inspired mucoadhesive film with strong adhesion to wet buccal tissues through physical association and covalent bonding. The film, incorporating polydopamine nanoparticles, improves drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy in oral mucositis models. This platform may contribute to the development of tissue adhesives and nanoparticle-based buccal delivery systems.