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Chitosan/Poly(γ-glutamic acid) Polyelectrolyte Complexes: From Self- Assembly to Application in Biomolecules Delivery and Regenerative Medicine

 Antunes JC, Gonçalves RM and Barbosa MA

Physically complexed Polyelectrolyte (PE) Complexes (PECs) have been widely used for different purposes. Mixing solutions of oppositely charged PEs leads to spontaneous formation of PEC dispersions (complex coacervates) of interpolymer complexes driven by electrostatic interactions. Assembling of poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) with chitosan (Ch) in PECs provides an easy and flexible technology for the delivery of biomolecules in tissue engineering. γ-PGA is an anionic polymer, recently explored but with interesting biological properties, namely nonimmunogenicity and in vivo biodegradability into glutamatic acid units. Its combination with cationic polymers, namely Ch, is being increasingly investigated. Here the formation of PECs, namely different architectures, as well as detailed features of biomedical applications of Ch/γ-PGA PECs as delivery systems and mediators of tissue regeneration is reviewed. Besides overviewing the literature on Ch/γ-PGA PECs applications, the main challenges to the use of Ch/γ-PGA PECs and the most promising applications of these structures in regenerative medicine are covered.