Nasal Mucus: You may think it’s simple, but it’s not
- Historically, airway mucus has been thought of as a simple layer of hydrogel on top of the epithelial cells, the “gel on cell” or “Gel/Sol” model. Over the past 15 years, airway mucus has been recognized as a more complex, two-layer “gel on brush” model
- Mucus in the nose is a variable component system. Mucin expression varies by anatomical location, disease, inflammation, aging, and physical stimulus.
- Each layer and mucus type has its own unique properties with regard to viscosity, elasticity, size exclusion, osmotic modulus, and other properties. This can have important ramifications for drug delivery, and is important to consider during the development phase.