Injectable, Self-Healing Chimeric Catechol-Fe(III) Hydrogel for Localized Combination Cancer Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

• Conventional chemotherapy administration faces challenges with poor bioavailability and systemic toxicity.
• Localized drug delivery using polymeric hydrogels can improve therapeutic efficacy and minimize side effects.
• Chitosan-catechol hydrogels offer promising properties for advanced drug delivery applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel chitosan-catechol hydrogel (CAT-Gel) for localized combination chemotherapy.
• To assess the material properties, biocompatibility, and drug-loading capacity of CAT-Gel.
• To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of CAT-Gel in preclinical lung and breast cancer models.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CAT-Gel via catechol-Fe(III) coordinative interactions.
• Incorporation of hydrophilic doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and hydrophobic docetaxel (DTX).
• Evaluation of hydrogel properties (injectability, self-healing, retention) and in vivo therapeutic effects in murine models.

Main Results:

• CAT-Gel demonstrated injectability, self-healing, non-cytotoxicity, and non-hemolytic properties.
• The hydrogel exhibited sustained retention in vivo (>40 days) and enabled sequential drug release.
• Combination therapy with DOX and DTX via CAT-Gel showed synergistic effects, increasing median survival in cancer models.

Conclusions:

• CAT-Gel is a biocompatible and injectable scaffold for localized combination cancer therapy.
• Coordinative assembly provides a robust method for creating advanced drug delivery systems.
• This approach holds potential for enhancing chemotherapy efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity.