Polymeric Nanoparticle Delivery Systems for Anticoagulant Therapies

Anticoagulant drugs such as heparin and its low-molecular-weight derivatives are central to the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders, yet their clinical performance is often limited by poor oral absorption, rapid clearance and systemic side-effects. Polymeric nanoparticles offer a versatile platform to encapsulate these agents, enhancing their solubility, protecting them from enzymatic degradation and enabling tailored release profiles. By selecting biodegradable polymers and surface-modifying particles with targeting ligands or charge-mediating moieties, researchers can achieve sustained therapeutic levels in plasma, reduce dosing frequency and minimise haemorrhagic risks. Delivery routes under investigation include intravenous and oral administration, the latter representing a particularly transformative advance for patient compliance. Recent developments span hybrid lipid–polymer constructs, polysaccharide-based assemblies and core–shell architectures, each demonstrating improved pharmacokinetics, site-specific accumulation and functional control over anticoagulant activity. Collectively, these efforts point toward more effective, safer and patient-friendly approaches to thrombo-prophylaxis on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Researchers have pioneered a thermosensitive heparin-based nanosponge synthesised via a single-step photopolymerisation between diacrylated pluronic and thiolated heparin. By varying the heparin feed, the surface charge and anticoagulant potency of the nanoparticles can be finely tuned while retaining high affinity for growth factors. In vitro assays reveal sustained release of encapsulated proteins over two months, with preserved bioactivity. Although anticoagulant activity is moderated compared with free heparin, the platform’s modular design offers potential for co-delivery of additional therapeutic cargos and precise control of haemostatic function. This work establishes a foundational strategy for engineering polymeric carriers with adjustable anticoagulant properties and long-term release kinetics.

Polymeric Nanoparticle Delivery Systems for Anticoagulant Therapies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in polymeric nanoparticle delivery systems for anticoagulant therapies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Polymeric nanoparticle: A submicrometre carrier composed of biocompatible polymers designed to encapsulate and release therapeutic agents in a controlled manner.

Encapsulation efficiency: The proportion of drug successfully loaded into a nanoparticle relative to the initial amount used in preparation.

Zeta potential: The electric potential at the slipping plane of a particle in suspension, influencing stability and interaction with biological membranes.

Oral bioavailability: The fraction of an administered dose of a drug that reaches systemic circulation when given by mouth.

Enoxaparin: A low-molecular-weight heparin commonly employed as an anticoagulant, usually administered parenterally but targeted here for oral delivery innovations.

References

1. Bioinspired Heparin Nanosponge Prepared by Photo-crosslinking for Controlled Release of Growth Factors. Scientific Reports (2017).
2. Development of Lipid–Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Improving Oral Absorption of Enoxaparin. Pharmaceutics (2020).
3. Characterization of PCL and Chitosan Nanoparticles as Carriers of Enoxaparin and Its Antithrombotic Effect in Animal Models of Venous Thrombosis. Journal of Nanotechnology (2017).
4. Chitosan/Alginate Nanoparticles for the Enhanced Oral Antithrombotic Activity of Clam Heparinoid from the Clam Coelomactra antiquata. Marine Drugs (2022).