A Temperature/pH Double-Responsive and Physical Double-Crosslinked Hydrogel Based on PLA and Histidine
Qingrong Wu1, Yu Fu1, Wanying Yang1
1Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 22, 2022
Summary
This study developed a novel temperature/pH double-responsive hydrogel for sustained tumor drug delivery. The dual-crosslinked hydrogel demonstrated significant potential for controlled release of hydrophobic drugs in simulated tumor environments.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hydrogels are effective carriers for sustained tumor drug delivery.
- Developing stimuli-responsive hydrogels is crucial for targeted cancer therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel temperature/pH double-responsive hydrogel.
- To evaluate its potential for sustained release of hydrophobic drugs.
Main Methods:
- Free-radical polymerization of temperature-sensitive (MEO2MA, OEGMA) and pH-sensitive (Mist) monomers with modified polylactic acid.
- Formation of metal-coordination bonds using Zn2+ and the imidazole group of Mist.
- Characterization of hydrogel properties (thermal stability, viscoelasticity, swelling, morphology).
- In vitro drug release studies using doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX-HCl) under simulated tumor conditions (37 °C, pH 5).
Main Results:
- A temperature/pH double-responsive and physically double-crosslinked hydrogel was successfully synthesized.
- The hydrogel exhibited distinct thermal stability, viscoelasticity, swelling, and morphology characteristics.
- The developed hydrogel showed the highest potential for sustained release of DOX-HCl in a simulated tumor environment.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized temperature/pH double-responsive hydrogel holds significant promise for advanced tumor drug delivery systems.
- Dual crosslinking strategies enhance hydrogel functionality for controlled therapeutic agent release.
- This material offers a potential platform for improving the efficacy of hydrophobic anticancer drugs.
