Ligand doping of iron oxide nanoparticles as an approach to novel oral iron therapeutics

We report on (a) a novel procedure to dope ferric oxide primary particles with GRAS ligands (b) their characterization and stability in cell culture solution (c) their uptake and utilization by gut cells in culture and (d) their delivery to human volunteers. Overall, these materials are cheap to manufacture and show promise for safe and efficient oral iron delivery to help ease the global burden of iron deficiency anemia.