Photothermal triggered protein release from an injectable polycaprolactone-based microspherical depot

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Biodegradable polymers like poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) are used in drug delivery.
• Controlled protein release is crucial for effective therapeutic treatments.
• Minimizing invasive procedures is a key goal in patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a light-triggered system for controlled, multiple-dose protein release.
• To utilize polymer-coated gold nanoparticles for photothermal protein release.
• To investigate the potential of this system in reducing therapeutic injection frequency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microspherical depots using biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL).
• Incorporation of model proteins (bovine serum albumin or horseradish peroxidase) within the depots.
• Integration of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles as photothermal agents.
• Exposure to visible light to trigger protein release.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated controlled, multiple-dose protein release upon visible light exposure.
• Successfully utilized polymer-coated gold nanoparticles for photothermal actuation.
• Validated the system with model proteins like bovine serum albumin (BSA) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP).

Conclusions:

• A light-controlled, microsphere-based protein delivery system was successfully developed.
• The photothermal effect of gold nanoparticles enables tunable protein release.
• This technology holds promise for reducing the frequency of invasive therapeutic injections.