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Updated: Oct 7, 2025
The Synthesis of RGD-functionalized Hydrogels as a Tool for Therapeutic Applications
Published on: October 7, 2016
Acid- and Thiol-Cleavable Multifunctional Codelivery Hydrogel: Fabrication and Investigation of Antimicrobial and
Jiecheng Zha1, Xiaoxu Mao1, Shoukui Hu1
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology and Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, Hefei 230009, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Hydrogels serving as a drug carrier was realized by entrapping small-sized drug molecules within their cross-linked interstitial networks. After covering the targeted location, hydrogels interact with the physiological fluids and swell, resulting in an increased interspace between networks for the outside diffusion of drugs. However, inevitable in vivo inflammatory responses or bacterial infection on the implant materials and persistent cargo release are still challenging. Herein, we report the fabrication of dual-responsive hydrogels based on acid-sensitive poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) derivative (PEI(-COOH/-vinyl)), thiol-responsive camptothecin prodrug monomer (CPTM), and hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (OEGMA) by a conventional radical polymerization. Curcumin was then solubilized into the hydrogels to endow them with antimicrobial and cancer resistance properties. The in vitro experiments exhibited sustained hydrogel dissolution and CPT release in a simulated physiological environment. The antimicrobial and cytotoxicity tests of drug-loaded hydrogels using methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and HeLa cancer cell lines, respectively, indicated that the hydrogels possessed efficient antimicrobial effects and could successfully inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
