Wirelessly triggered bioactive molecule delivery from degradable electroactive polymer films

Mark D Ashton,Byul Hur,Melike Firlak,Naomi E Stanhope,John G Hardy,William R Eisenstadt,Christine E Schmidt,Isabel C Appen

doi:10.1002/pi.6089

Abstract

AbstractThe development of stimuli‐responsive drug delivery systems offers significant opportunities for innovations in industry. It is possible to produce polymer‐based drug delivery devices enabling spatiotemporal control of the release of the drug triggered by an electrical stimulus. Here we describe the development of a wireless controller for drug delivery from conductive/electroactive polymer‐based biomaterials and demonstrate its function in vitro. The wireless polymer conduction controller device uses very low power, operating at 2.4 GHz, and has a supply voltage controller circuit which controls electrical stimulation voltage levels. The computer graphical user interface program communicates with the controller device, and it receives device information, device status and temperature data from the controller device. The prototype of the wireless controller system can trigger the delivery of a drug, dexamethasone phosphate, from a matrix of degradable electroactive polymers. Furthermore, we introduce the application of in silico toxicity screening as a potentially useful method to facilitate the design of non‐toxic degradable electroactive polymers for a multitude of biotechnological applications, addressing one of the key commercial challenges to biomaterial development, in accordance with ‘safe by design’ principles. © 2020 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Industrial Chemistry.

Highlights

Polymer-based bioactive molecule delivery systems are routinely employed to improve the biological efficacy of the bioactive molecules, wherein the polymers are key elements in the technology since they can control the release of bioactive molecules.[1,2,3] there are many clinical implementation hurdles, intelligent bioactive molecule delivery systems offer significant opportunities for innovations in industry.[4,5,6,7]Devices capable of the precise control of levels of drugs in specific tissues or the bloodstream may enable maintenance of the drug within its therapeutic window and with their chronopharmacologies controlled in line with the chronobiology of the specific condition
The wireless polymer conduction controller (WPCC) system for drug delivery includes an electrochemical cell, a remote wireless controller device and a wireless module that communicates with the controller device
Polymer synthesis and film preparation Here we report the development of a prototype device that is capable of wirelessly monitoring/sending temperature data and controlling the release of a clinically relevant drug (DMP) from wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pi www.soci.org films of degradable electroactive polymers[101] in vitro

Summary

Introduction

Polymer-based bioactive molecule delivery systems are routinely employed to improve the biological efficacy of the bioactive molecules, wherein the polymers are key elements in the technology since they can control the release of bioactive molecules (e.g. agrochemical, drug etc.).[1,2,3] there are many clinical implementation hurdles, intelligent bioactive molecule delivery systems offer significant opportunities for innovations in industry.[4,5,6,7]Devices capable of the precise control of levels of drugs in specific tissues or the bloodstream may enable maintenance of the drug within its therapeutic window (effective but not associated with undesirable side effects) and with their chronopharmacologies controlled in line with the chronobiology of the specific condition.

Results

Conclusion