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Multi-responsive chitosan-based hydrogels for controlled release of vincristine
Bahareh Farasati Far1, Mohsen Omrani1, Mohammad Reza Naimi Jamal2
1Research Laboratory of Green Organic Synthesis & Polymers, Department of Chemistry, Iran University of Science and Technology, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran.
Communications Chemistry
|February 10, 2023
Summary
New chitosan-based hydrogels offer safe and effective drug delivery for breast cancer treatment. These biocompatible materials show high drug encapsulation and sustained release, reducing side effects.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Cancer Therapeutics
Background:
- Chitosan hydrogels are gaining interest for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility and non-toxicity.
- Developing advanced hydrogel carriers is crucial for sustained and controlled drug release, enhancing therapeutic efficacy.
- Vincristine sulfate's side effects necessitate improved delivery systems for cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize two novel multi-reactive, safe, and highly swellable bio-hydrogels: chitosan-graft-glycerol (CS-g-gly) and carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-glycerol (CMCS-g-gly).
- To evaluate the potential of these hydrogels as carriers for sustained and controlled delivery of vincristine sulfate (VCR).
- To assess the in vitro anti-tumor efficacy and safety profile of VCR-loaded hydrogels against breast cancer cells.
Main Methods:
- Preparation and comprehensive characterization of CS-g-gly and CMCS-g-gly hydrogels using various analytical techniques.
- High encapsulation efficiency of VCR into CS-g-gly and CMCS-g-gly hydrogels was determined.
- In vitro drug release studies were conducted over 120 hours.
- Cytotoxicity and anti-tumor efficacy were evaluated on MCF-7 (breast cancer) and MCF-10 (normal breast) cell lines using MTT assay and flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- CS-g-gly and CMCS-g-gly hydrogels were successfully synthesized and exhibited high swelling ratios.
- Vincristine-loaded hydrogels (VCR/CS-g-gly and VCR/CMCS-g-gly) demonstrated high encapsulation efficiencies ranging from 72.28-89.97% and 56.97-71.91%, respectively.
- Sustained release of VCR from VCR/CS-g-gly hydrogels was observed, with up to 82% release after 120 hours.
- MTT assays showed no significant cytotoxicity of the hydrogels on both MCF-7 and MCF-10 cell lines, indicating a favorable safety profile.
Conclusions:
- The developed CS-g-gly and CMCS-g-gly hydrogels are promising biocompatible carriers for sustained and controlled delivery of vincristine sulfate.
- These hydrogels exhibit excellent drug encapsulation efficiency and sustained release kinetics, potentially improving bioavailability and reducing side effects.
- The in vitro studies suggest that these hydrogels can effectively deliver anti-cancer drugs to breast cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells.
