Abstract and subjects
There have been tremendous advances in nanotechnology. Recently, the use of nanoparticles has expanded to applications including materials, packaging, energy, and medical uses, such as drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The biomedical uses of nanoparticles are particularly promising because of their ability to reach and target various sites and organs. However, some nanoparticles can be composed of toxic materials or are limited by issues of biodistribution and bioaccumulation, which have hampered their use in biomedicine. The copolymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has gained use in biomedical applications as a delivery system because it is considered biocompatible and can be formulated with controlled degradation in physiological environments. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have approved various PLGA particle formulations as therapeutic delivery vehicles. Despite recent advances in PLGA nanoparticle formulations, residual stabilizing molecules, inconsistent preparations, and batch-to-batch variations can lead to toxicity. There is a need for robust methods to evaluate the biological toxicity of PLGA nanoparticles both in vitro and in vivo, as well as studies on their potential environmental impacts. A systematic evaluation and detailed understanding of how PLGA and the other components used to help formulate this copolymer into a nanoparticle delivery vehicle is crucial for assessing and mitigating any potential harmful effects to humans and the environment.