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A photo-responsive membrane for tailored drug delivery with spatially and temporally controlled release

Buyun Guo1,2, Rong Fan1,2, Shuwei Shen1,2,3

  • 1Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China. zqzhu2017@ustc.edu.cn.

Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|September 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces a novel photo-responsive drug delivery system for precise chemotherapy. The system uses light-activated materials to control drug release at tumor margins, improving treatment accuracy.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Current drug delivery methods lack precision for targeted tumor treatment, especially for widespread metastases or tumors near vital organs.
  • Existing techniques struggle with controlled drug release specifically within identified disease margins.
  • Accurate therapeutic delivery and normal tissue sparing are critical for effective cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and demonstrate a tailored drug delivery strategy using photo-responsive materials and tumor margin imaging.
  • To achieve automated and precise therapeutic release at targeted disease sites.
  • To validate the potential of image-guided chemotherapy with controlled drug release patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-PSPA (PEO-b-PSPA) diblock copolymer via spiropyran (SP) polymerization.
  • Formation of a photo-responsive membrane (PRM) and control of its permeability using alternating ultraviolet (UV) and green light (Vis) irradiation.
  • Modeling and experimental comparison of photo-switchable drug permeation through the PRM, verified with geometric shapes and cancer images.

Main Results:

  • The photo-responsive membrane demonstrated controlled permeability switching with different light wavelengths.
  • Drug release patterns were precisely controlled, matching programmed irradiation patterns and verified with cancer imaging.
  • The tailored drug release strategy showed therapeutic efficacy in vitro against human breast cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • The developed photo-responsive material enables image-guided, automated, and precisely controlled drug release.
  • This strategy offers a promising approach for targeted chemotherapy, enhancing therapeutic precision.
  • The study highlights the technical potential of photo-responsive carriers for advanced cancer treatment.

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