Facile fabrication of pH-controlled drug release mat via engineering 3D reversible gel-like nanofibers

Abstract

The drug release system is emerging as a novel dosage form for multipurpose prevention against the undesired cytotoxic side effect caused by large doses of oral administration via the site-specific and on-demand control of drugs. Herein, a drug release system with a large dose of encapsulation-free drugs loading and site-specific controlled release was facilely built via engineering 3D reversible gel-like nanofibers based on pH-responsive copolymer containing sensitive photo-crosslinker and stiffness tunable polymer. This strategy can be used to address the case-by-case issue of drugs loaded in the matrix via in-situ-trapping drugs in the crosslinked gel-like nanofibers. The cumulative release profiles and release kinetics upon different pH indicate that 3D reversible gel-like nanofibrous mat can stably control the drug release for more than 80 h. Moreover, the 3D nanofibrous release system behaves sustained and pH-controlled release of drugs, thereby contributing to satisfying targeted drug release therapy for weakly acidic pathological tissues. • Copolymers capable of UV initiating crosslinking and pH responses are synthesized. • A drug release system loading with megadose encapsulation-free drugs was prepared. • Engineered 3D reversible nanofibers achieve site-specific drug release in acid. • Nanofibrous mat can stably control the drug release for more than 80 h. • Two different kinetic equations fit the bimodal of the release curve in pH 6.4 PBS.