title: Biodegradable Poly(ester-urethane) Carriers Exhibiting Controlled Release of Epirubicin.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop the perspective biodegradable poly(ester-urethane) (PUR) carriers based on "predominantly isotactic" and atactic polylactides (PLAs), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), for the controlled release of epirubicin (EPI).
  
  
  
  The biodegradable PURs containing different soft segments as new and effective carriers of EPI have been obtained. The preliminary studies on toxicity and degradation of obtained polymers, and the release of the EPI from PUR carriers were carried out.
  
  
  
  We found that the kinetic release of EPI from the obtained PUR carriers tested in vitro at 37°C and pH 7.4 was strongly dependent on the kind of the polyesters, used as the soft segment in PURs synthesis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the EPI was released from various synthesized carriers in a rather regular manner, according to the diffusion-degradation and degradation mechanisms. Importantly, in some cases, the kinetics of the EPI release was nearly zero-order.
  
  
  
  The results show that the obtained PURs are very effective and perspective carriers and might be potentially applied in the technology of high controlled EPI delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Żółtowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Piotrowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oledzka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuras
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Science, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zgadzaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy with the Laboratory Medicine Division, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha St., Warsaw, 02-097, Poland. marcin.sobczak@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobczak
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D065546:Drug Liberation; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011091:Polyesters; D011140:Polyurethanes; C081821:microthane foam; C016240:polycaprolactone; D015251:Epirubicin; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: anticancer drug delivery systems; biodegradable polyurethanes; biomedical polymers; controlled release; epirubicin