On-Demand Reversible UV-Triggered Interpenetrating Polymer Network-Based Drug Delivery System Using the...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing controlled drug delivery systems (DDS) is crucial for targeted and efficient therapy.
• Existing DDS often lack on-demand responsiveness or can degrade during drug release.
• Photo-responsive materials offer a promising avenue for external trigger-based drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a reversible, UV-triggered drug delivery system (DDS) using interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs).
• To investigate the influence of copolymer composition and drug lipophilicity on drug release kinetics.
• To develop and validate a thermodynamic model for optimizing IPN composition for efficient light-triggered drug release.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of photo-responsive IPNs incorporating spiropyran (SP)-functionalized polymers within a silicone host.
• Utilizing UV irradiation to induce a hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic transformation of SP moieties, altering drug-matrix interactions.
• Employing a thermodynamic model based on Hansen solubility parameters to predict and optimize drug release.
• Experimental evaluation of drug release profiles for dopamine, l-dopa, and prednisone.

Main Results:

• The developed IPNs demonstrated efficient, UV-triggered release of drugs (dopamine, l-dopa, prednisone) with 90-95% release achieved.
• The thermodynamic model accurately predicted drug release behavior and was used to optimize IPN composition.
• The study confirmed that the light-induced switch in spiropyran's hydrophilicity can overcome drug-polymer adhesion, enabling controlled release.
• This work is the first to utilize the concept of work of adhesion for optimizing light-triggered drug release from IPNs.

Conclusions:

• The developed photo-responsive IPNs represent a novel and effective platform for on-demand, UV-triggered drug delivery.
• The thermodynamic model provides a valuable tool for designing and tailoring IPNs for specific drug release applications.
• This approach offers a non-degradative and switchable method for drug release, overcoming limitations of conventional DDS.