Dual Transport of Active Substances with a Layer‐by‐Layer‐Based Drug Delivery System to Terminate Inflammatory Processes

Abstract Conventional therapies for chronic inflammation with high dose application of active agents are often accompanied with severe side effects so that other therapeutical strategies shall be developed to be less physically demanding but still highly efficient. Locally applied Layer‐by‐Layer (LbL) microcarriers transporting a low, but efficient dosage of active agents directly into the inflamed tissue offer a gentle therapy option. Here, the inhibition of highly degradative enzyme human neutrophile elastase (HNE) is adressed, which is produced and secreted by neutrophile granulocytes (PMNs) in the progress of inflammation. The protected transport and release of its natural inhibitor α1‐antitrypsin (AT) as a constituent of the microcarrier's biopolymer multilayer allows for an efficient inhibition of extra‐ and intracellular elastase. The HOCl scavenger molecule cefoperazone, which preserves AT activity, as an additional multilayer constituent induces a much higher efficacy of the inhibitor. The successful assembly of both agents in different layers of the multilayer and the subsequent HNE inhibition in PMNs is investigated. The parallel application of cefoperazone leads to an enhanced inhibitory effect even with reduced AT amount and reduced carrier:cell ratio. It is demonstrated that the modular assembly strategy of LbL carriers allows for efficient synergistic effect of active agents in inflammatory process.