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Electroactive Polymer Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photothermal Properties
Published on: January 8, 2016
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An efficient photothermal-chemotherapy platform based on a polyacrylamide/phytic acid/polydopamine hydrogel
Zhen Zhao1, Hua Zhang2, Hongda Chen2
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China. zhaozhenciac@163.com.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|May 4, 2022
Summary
This study introduces a novel polyacrylamide/phytic acid/polydopamine (PAAM/PA/PDA) hydrogel for cancer therapy. This advanced hydrogel effectively delivers doxorubicin (DOX) and utilizes near-infrared light for synergistic photothermal and chemotherapy treatment, completely suppressing tumor growth in mice.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Cancer Therapy
Background:
- Developing advanced drug delivery systems is crucial for effective cancer treatment.
- Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a promising approach for localized cancer treatment.
- Combining chemotherapy with PTT can enhance therapeutic efficacy and overcome drug resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel polyacrylamide/phytic acid/polydopamine (PAAM/PA/PDA) hydrogel.
- To evaluate the hydrogel's potential as a drug loading matrix and photothermal conversion agent.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of PTT and chemotherapy using the developed hydrogel for cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- PAAM/PA/PDA hydrogel synthesized via copolymerization of dopamine with acrylamide using phytic acid as a crosslinker.
- Doxorubicin (DOX) loading into the hydrogel matrix.
- Assessment of photothermal transduction efficiency under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation.
- In vitro and in vivo evaluation of synergistic PTT and chemotherapy efficacy against SW620 tumors.
Main Results:
- The PAAM/PA/PDA hydrogel demonstrated a high DOX loading capacity (170 mg g⁻¹) and efficient photothermal conversion (47.4%) under low-power NIR irradiation.
- PAAM/PA/PDA/DOX hydrogel exhibited significant synergistic effects between PTT and chemotherapy.
- Complete suppression of SW620 tumor growth was observed in mice treated with the PAAM/PA/PDA/DOX hydrogel and NIR irradiation.
- The hydrogel showed good physicochemical stability, negligible cytotoxicity, and low in vivo toxicity.
Conclusions:
- The developed PAAM/PA/PDA hydrogel is a highly effective platform for combined photothermal and chemotherapy.
- The hydrogel's superior drug loading and photothermal properties offer advantages over conventional agents.
- This novel hydrogel holds significant promise for advanced biomedical applications in cancer therapy.

