One-Step Fabrication ofPolymeric Janus Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery.

With its unique structure of two compartments, Janusparticles can be used for many applications for which monomorphicparticles are inadequate, including to be used as a drug deliverysystem to deliver multiple payloads with widely different solubility.Here we report on a fluidic nanoprecipitation system (FNPS), capableof fabricating biocompatible Janus polymeric nanoparticles comprisedof the FDA-approved polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolicacid) (PLGA). The FNPS contains dual inlets, one for each half ofthe particle, that insert into the precipitation stream. The systemprovides a one-step approach for production of Janus polymeric particleswith submicrometer diameters and is likely amenable to substantialscale-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstrationof biocompatible Janus nanoparticles that encapsulate a hydrophobicdrug (paclitaxel) on one side and a hydrophilic drug (doxorubicinhydrochloride) on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]