Disulfiram 3D printed film produced via hot-melt extrusion techniques as a potential anticervical cancer candidate

Cervical cancer is known globally as one of the most common health problems in women. Indeed, one of the most convenient approaches for its treatment is an appropriate bioadhesive vaginal film. This approach provides a local treatment modality, which inevitably decreases dosing frequency and improves patient compliance. Recently, disulfiram (DSF) has been investigated and demonstrated to possess anticervical cancer activity; therefore, it is employed in this work. The current study aimed to produce a novel, personalized three-dimensional (3D) printed DSF extended-release film using the hot-melt extrusion (HME) and 3D printing technologies. The optimization of the formulation composition and the HME and 3D printing processing temperatures was an important factor for overcoming the DSF heat-sensitivity issue. In addition, the 3D printing speed was specifically the most crucial parameter for alleviating heat-sensitivity concerns, which led to the production of films (F1 and F2) with an acceptable DSF content and good mechanical properties. The bioadhesion film study using sheep cervical tissue indicated a reasonable adhesive peak force (N) of 0.24 ± 0.08 for F1 and 0.40 ± 0.09 for F2, while the work of adhesion (N.mm) for F1 and F2 was 0.28 ± 0.14 and 0.54 ± 0.14, respectively. Moreover, the cumulative in vitro release data indicated that the printed films released DSF for up to 24 h. HME-coupled 3D printing successfully produced a patient-centric and personalized DSF extended-release vaginal film with a reduced dose and longer dosing interval.