Among them, N-octyl-O-sulfate chitosan (NOSC) has been extensively studied. NOSC, synthesized by Q. Ping’s group, is an amphipathic chitosan derivative, carrying sulfated groups as hydrophilic moieties and octyl groups as hydrophobic moieties [179]. The oral bioavailability of PTX-loaded NOSC micelles and Taxol was further compared. It was suggested that NOSC, an inhibitor of P-gp, could enhance the oral absorption of PTX by a P-gp-independent micelle internalization [180].

In vivo study, the oral Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical bioavailability of PTX loaded in NOSC micelles was increased by 6-fold in comparison with that of an orally dosed Taxol. In the Caco-2 cell uptake studies, NOSC micelles brought about a significantly higher amount of PTX accumulated via both clathrin- and Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical caveolae-mediated endocytosis. The mechanism of P-gp inhibition by NOSC was probably related to interfering with the P-gp ATPase rather than reducing the P-gp expression. 5. Conclusion Oral administration is the most commonly preferred route

for drug delivery, especially in the case of repeated dosing for chronic therapy. To achieve good oral absorption of poorly Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical water-soluble drugs, the loaded drug should be protected from the harsh gastrointestinal environment and release in a controlled manner at the find more target sites. In this review article, we aim to illustrate the potential of PMs for delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs, especially in the areas of oral delivery. It Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical was suggested that PMs could enhance the oral drug bioavailability probably because the special stability (thermodynamic and kinetic stability) facilitating the safe transport of PMs through the GI tract, the pH-sensitivity of PMs promoting the controlled release properties of loaded drugs at target region, the mucoadhesivity of PMs prolonging Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the residence time in the gut, and the P-gp inhibitors contributing to drug accumulation. To make a methodical layout, we introduced various

kinds of PMs separately in this article. However, a possible direction of combining two or more properties, such as pH-sensitive of and mucoadhesive PMs, has gained much attention and offers a promising way to enhance the bioavailability of oral delivery. Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank Mr. Lee Lankford from UC Davis for grammatical editing of the paper.
Vaccination requires highly purified proteins or synthetic peptides usually in combination with immune stimulating adjuvants or danger signals, to successfully prime T cells. In the last 10 years, there has been an upsurge of data suggesting that dendritic cells (DCs) are the most important cells to stimulate immune responses against antigens [1].