Pursuing intracellular pathogens with hyaluronan. From a 'pro-infection' polymer to a biomaterial for 'trojan horse' systems

Montanari, Elita; Di Meo, Chiara; Oates, Angela; Coviello, Tommasina; Matricardi, Pietro

Abstract

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Hyaluronan (HA) is among the most important bioactive polymers in mammals, playing a key role in a number of biological functions. In the last decades, it has been increasingly studied as a biomaterial for drug delivery systems, thanks to its physico-chemical features and ability to target and enter certain cells. The most important receptor of HA is 'Cluster of Differentiation 44' (CD44), a cell surface glycoprotein over-expressed by a number of cancers and heavily involved in HA endocytosis. Moreover, CD44 is highly expressed by keratinocytes, activated macrophages and fibroblasts, all of which can act as 'reservoirs' for intracellular pathogens. Interestingly, both CD44 and HA appear to play a key role for the invasion and persistence of such microorganisms within the cells. As such, HA is increasingly recognised as a potential target for nano-carriers development, to pursuit and target intracellular pathogens, acting as a 'Trojan Horse'. This review describes the biological relationship between HA, CD44 and the entry and survival of a number of pathogens within the cells and the subsequent development of HA-based nano-carriers for enhancing the intracellular activity of antimicrobials.

Citation

Montanari, E., Di Meo, C., Oates, A., Coviello, T., & Matricardi, P. (2018). Pursuing intracellular pathogens with hyaluronan. From a 'pro-infection' polymer to a biomaterial for 'trojan horse' systems. Molecules, 23(4), 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23040939

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 13, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Apr 18, 2018
• Publication Date: Apr 18, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 17, 2019
• Journal: Molecules
• Electronic ISSN: 1420-3049
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 939
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23040939
• Keywords: Hyaluronan; Intracellular infections; CD44; Nano-carriers; Antimicrobial delivery
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1217424
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/4/939
• Related Public URLs: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/129795/