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Electrochemically Enhanced Delivery of Pemetrexed from Electroactive Hydrogels
Sophie Au-Yong1, Melike Firlak1,2, Emily R Draper3
1Department of Chemistry, Faraday Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK.
Polymers
|November 26, 2022
Summary
New electroactive hydrogels blend polyethyleneglycol, chitosan, and polypyrrole for potential biomedical uses. These conductive materials show tunable mechanical properties and enhanced drug release, paving the way for electrochemotherapy devices.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Development of advanced hydrogels for biomedical applications is crucial.
- Electroactive materials offer unique properties for drug delivery and tissue regeneration.
- Polyethyleneglycol (PEG), chitosan, and polypyrrole are versatile polymers for hydrogel synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel electroactive hydrogels.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties and swelling behavior of the hydrogels.
- To assess the potential of these hydrogels for in vitro cell culture and drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Photopolymerization and oxidative chemical polymerization.
- Characterization using FT-IR, NMR, XRD, TGA, SEM, swelling tests, and rheology.
- In vitro studies including fibroblast cell culture and electrochemical drug release (pemetrexed).
Main Results:
- Conductive gels exhibited reduced swelling (8x less) due to polypyrrole-lignin interpenetrating networks (IPN).
- Mechanical properties were tunable: non-conductive gels mimicked brain tissue, conductive gels mimicked breast tissue.
- Electrically stimulated release of pemetrexed was enhanced by 10-15% compared to passive release.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized electroactive hydrogels possess tunable mechanical properties and controlled drug release capabilities.
- These materials show promise for integration into electrochemotherapy medical devices.
- Further development could lead to advanced therapeutic strategies in oncology.
