title: Mechanoresponsive materials for drug delivery: Harnessing forces for controlled release.
abstract: Mechanically-activated delivery systems harness existing physiological and/or externally-applied forces to provide spatiotemporal control over the release of active agents. Current strategies to deliver therapeutic proteins and drugs use three types of mechanical stimuli: compression, tension, and shear. Based on the intended application, each stimulus requires specific material selection, in terms of substrate composition and size (e.g., macrostructured materials and nanomaterials), for optimal in vitro and in vivo performance. For example, compressive systems typically utilize hydrogels or elastomeric substrates that respond to and withstand cyclic compressive loading, whereas, tension-responsive systems use composites to compartmentalize payloads. Finally, shear-activated systems are based on nanoassemblies or microaggregates that respond to physiological or externally-applied shear stresses. In order to provide a comprehensive assessment of current research on mechanoresponsive drug delivery, the mechanical stimuli intrinsically present in the human body are first discussed, along with the mechanical forces typically applied during medical device interventions, followed by in-depth descriptions of compression, tension, and shear-mediated drug delivery devices. We conclude by summarizing the progress of current research aimed at integrating mechanoresponsive elements within these devices, identifying additional clinical opportunities for mechanically-activated systems, and discussing future prospects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Jonah A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Yolonda L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States; Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States; Department of Medicine, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, United States. Electronic address: mgrin@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Grinstaff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels; D049329:Nanostructures; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D020100:Hydrogels
keywords: Biomaterials; Compression; Drug delivery; Nanomaterials; Shear; Tension