Doxorubicin uptake and release from microgel thin films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Microgel thin films offer tunable properties for drug delivery applications.
• Thermoresponsive polymers enable controlled release based on temperature changes.
• Doxorubicin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent with potential for targeted delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the thermally regulated uptake and release of doxorubicin from microgel thin films.
• To develop a method for constructing multi-layered microgel films using spin coating, layer-by-layer assembly.
• To characterize the drug release kinetics in response to temperature variations.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (pNIPAm-AAc) microgel thin films using spin coating, layer-by-layer (scLbL) assembly.
• Loading of doxorubicin into the microgel films by temperature cycling (25-50°C) in an aqueous solution.
• Characterization of film buildup using quartz crystal microgravimetry (QCM) and drug release analysis via UV-vis spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Uniform multi-layered microgel films (10, 20, 30 layers) were successfully constructed.
• Doxorubicin uptake and release were achieved through temperature-controlled swelling and deswelling of the microgel films.
• UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed temperature-dependent doxorubicin release characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The scLbL assembly method provides a robust approach for creating thermoresponsive microgel films for drug delivery.
• The developed films demonstrate controlled, temperature-regulated release of doxorubicin.
• These findings highlight the potential of thermoresponsive microgels in developing advanced, stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems.