Search

An injectable hydrogel-based drug delivery carrier has been developed for long-term drug release by assembling various generations of cyclodextrin (CD) followed by hydrophobic layers to control the drug release for effective cancer treatment. Three generations of CD are designed through urethane linkages using small spacers to create a large hydrophilic core, which is covered with hydrophobic layers of polyurethane through grafting to maintain the hydrophilic hydrophobic balance of the whole superstructure. Drug release becomes sustained from the intricate superstructure following the non-Fickian diffusion process, resulting in massive cancer cell killing as compared to the low killing rate from the pure drug/material arising from its burst release. The superstructure is found to be a good biomaterial, and its drug-loaded conjugate as a carrier is applied to albino mice to treat their tumors, generated through a melanoma cell line. A drug-embedded superstructure is inoculated in an injectable hydrogel and is placed subcutaneously, below the tumor site, which completely healed the melanoma. No side effect was observed, as opposed to the conventional/control system, due to a sustained drug release from the superstructure as evident from histopathological studies of sensitive body organs and biochemical parameters. Thus, a new design of the vehicle heals the melanoma tumor by enhancing the bioavailability of drug and specific interaction without having any side effects as opposed to conventional chemotherapeutic treatment.

An injectable hydrogel of chemically modified chitosan has been developed for controlled drug delivery application. Highly hydrophilic chitosan is chemically modified through grafting of ester-diol based polyurethane to transform into hydrogel through hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance. Grafting is confirmed through different spectroscopic techniques such as

The objective of this study is to fabricate biodegradable polymers into scaffolds to embed drugs for tumor treatment without any toxic side effects. Scaffold preparation is optimized by changing the conditions, e.g., poly(lactic acid) concentration (10% w/v), applied potential (15 kV), flow rate (1 mL/h), distance between needle and collector (20 cm), and nanosheet concentration (4 wt % nanoclay), during electrospinning. A drug-embedded nanofiber scaffold is used to regulate the drug delivery in a sustainable manner utilizing the enhanced barrier effect from dispersed nanosheet and good interaction between the components. The effect of thermal treatment improves the stability and slower release of drug through alteration in microstructure. Cell culture studies using a nanofiber scaffold indicate its biocompatibility and applicability as a biomaterial for tumor treatment. Sustained drug release from the scaffold enhances the in vitro cancer cytotoxicity up to 85% in 3 days. In vivo studies clearly suggest ...