mucintargeting
Mucintargeting refers to strategies and technologies designed to deliver therapeutic agents specifically to mucins, which are heavily glycosylated proteins that form the protective mucus layer found on epithelial surfaces throughout the body. This mucus layer, while essential for defense, can also act as a barrier to drug penetration, limiting the efficacy of conventional treatments. Mucintargeting aims to overcome this barrier by exploiting the properties of mucins or by employing delivery systems that can interact with or penetrate the mucus.
One approach involves designing drug carriers that are either mucoadhesive, meaning they can bind to mucins,
Another strategy is to develop drugs that can degrade or modify mucins, thereby thinning the mucus layer