Abstract
The high drug loading capacity, cytocompatibility and easy functionalization of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) make them attractive nanocarriers to treat several pathologies. OMCs’ efficiency could be further increased by embedding them into a hydrogel phase for an in loco prolonged drug release. In this work, OMCs were embedded into injectable thermosensitive hydrogels. In detail, rod-like (diameter ca. 250 nm, length ca. 700 nm) and spherical (diameter approximately 120 nm) OMCs were synthesized by nanocasting selected templates and loaded with ibuprofen through a melt infiltration method to achieve complete filling of their pores (100% loading yield). In parallel, an amphiphilic Poloxamer® 407-based poly(ether urethane) was synthesized ( 72 kDa) and solubilized at 15 and 20% w/v concentration in saline solution to design thermosensitive hydrogels. OMC incorporation into the hydrogels (10 mg/mL concentration) did not negatively affect their gelation potential. Hybrid systems successfully released ibuprofen at a slower rate compared to control gels (gels embedding ibuprofen as such), but with no significant differences between rod-like and spherical OMC-loaded gels. OMCs can thus work as effective drug reservoirs that progressively release their payload over time and also upon encapsulation in a hydrogel phase, thus opening the way to their application to treat many different pathological states (e.g., as topical medications).
Highlights
The last few decades have seen a revolutionary era in the field of drug delivery, leading to the development of several innovative cutting-edge approaches for diagnosis and treatment of many pathological states
The design of drug delivery systems that carry a huge amount of active molecules and release them to a target biological compartment according to a controlled and sustained profile represents an overwhelming advancement in the biomedical field. Such an approach overcomes the main drawbacks of traditional drug administration routes, limiting the need for multiple administrations and opening the way to the possibility to set up personalized therapies. With this perspective in mind, in this work we reported on the possibility to design hybrid injectable thermosensitive sol-gel formulations
The infiltration of ibuprofen in the pores of the ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) was first assessed through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis, which evidenced the absence of the crystalline drug for both particle types
Summary
The last few decades have seen a revolutionary era in the field of drug delivery, leading to the development of several innovative cutting-edge approaches for diagnosis and treatment of many pathological states. Drug transportation by specific carriers improves pharmacokinetic profiles, reduces the risk of side effects, and allows a localized and sustained payload release in the target area, with consequent advantages in terms of the required administered dosage to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. Such carriers can be properly engineered to pass through many biological barriers and actively target a specific pathological area of the body. Micro- and nano-particles are among the most widely investigated drug carriers in nanomedicine They are available in different sizes, forms and materials, such as synthetic polymers, proteins, lipids and inorganic materials. A further possibility to functionalize MSNs and afford additional bioactivity consists in doping their framework with other elements, which will be released in the form of therapeutic ions, such as copper, strontium and calcium species, in a target area of the body [15,16,17,18,19]
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