Aquasomes: a novel nanocarrier system for drug delivery

Aquasomes are a nanocarrier system firstly proposed by the group of Nir Kossovsky in 1995, and they offer great opportunities as a potent and versatile tool for drug delivery. They are a fascinating example of the combination of materials science, chemistry, and biology. Well-known challenges that arise during the development of an effective drug formulation, for instance, physical or chemical instability and low bioavailability (particularly important for peptide-based drugs), potentially serious adverse effects and appropriate route of administration, can all be successfully dealt with by the aid of aquasomes. Rather than being simple nanoparticles, this class of drug nanocarriers is composed by self-assembled three-layered structures, with size ranging from 60 to 300 nm. The main components of aquasomes nanocrystalline core, (ii) a polyhydroxy oligomeric coating layer, and (iii) the biochemically active molecules to be delivered. All components are selfassembled to form the aquasome nanocarrier through weak noncovalent interactions like ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces. At the heart of an aquasome is its solid core that provides great structural stability to the final product. Because of their great degree of order and structural regularity, ceramics are commonly utilized as aquasome core materials. At the same time, the polyhydroxy oligomeric coating protects the carried biochemically active molecules against dehydration, creating a water-like environment that is particularly important for the delivery of bioactive polypeptides.