Thermosensitive Chitosan-Based Injectable Hydrogel as an Efficient Anticancer Drug Carrier

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

• Hydrogels offer unique advantages for drug delivery systems.
• Currently, no hydrogel formulations exist for disulfiram (DSF) delivery.
• Injectable drug delivery systems are desirable for sustained therapeutic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate a thermosensitive, injectable hydrogel for sustained disulfiram (DSF) delivery.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties and in vitro performance of the developed hydrogel.
• To assess the anticancer efficacy and cellular uptake of DSF-loaded hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a thermosensitive, physically cross-linked injectable hydrogel.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
• Evaluation of rheological behavior, swelling index, in vitro drug release, MTT assay for cell viability, and cellular uptake studies.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogels exhibited excellent biocompatibility, injectable at room temperature, and rapid gelation at body temperature.
• In vitro studies demonstrated sustained release of DSF at physiological pH and temperature.
• DSF-loaded hydrogels showed significantly higher cytotoxicity and enhanced cellular uptake compared to free DSF solution.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan-based thermosensitive hydrogels are effective for sustained disulfiram delivery.
• These injectable hydrogels represent a novel and promising approach for long-term cancer therapy.
• The developed system offers improved anticancer efficacy and drug targeting.