title: Polymer hydrogel functionalized with biodegradable nanoparticles as composite system for controlled drug delivery.
abstract: The possibility to direct pharmacological treatments targeting specific cell lines using polymer nanoparticles is one of the main novelties and perspectives in nanomedicine. However, sometimes, the ability to maintain NPs localized at the site of the injection that work as a drug reservoir can represent a good and complementary option. In this direction we built a composite material made of polymeric hydrogel functionalized with polymer NPs. ϵ-caprolactone and polyethylene glycol have been copolymerized in a two-step synthesis of PEGylated NPs, while hydrogel was synthesized through polycondensation between NPs, agarose and branched polyacrylic acid. NP functionalization was verified with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high resolution magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (HRMAS-NMR) spectroscopy and release kinetics from a hydrogel matrix and compared with NPs only physically entrapped into a hydrogel matrix. The characteristics of the resulting composite hydrogel-NPs system were studied both in terms of rheological properties and in its ability to sustain the release of To-Pro3, used as a drug mimetic compound to represent a promising drug delivery device.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castiglione
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perale
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
mesh_terms: D002208:Caproates / Q000737:chemistry; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D065546:Drug Liberation; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D002232:Carbocyanines; D004337:Drug Carriers; D007783:Lactones; D011108:Polymers; C098830:TO-PRO-3; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C121056:caprolactone