Combined Release of Antiseptic and Antibiotic Drugs from Visible Light Polymerized Biodegradable Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Periodontitis Treatment

Abstract

The in situ application of the combination of different types of drugs revolutionized the area of periodontal therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop nanocomposite hydrogel (NCHG) as a pH-sensitive drug delivery system. To achieve local applicability of the NCHG in dental practice, routinely used blue-light photopolymerization was chosen for preparation. The setting time was 60 s, which resulted in stable hydrogel structures. Universal Britton–Robinson buffer solutions were used to investigate the effect of pH in the range 4–12 on the release of drugs that can be used in the periodontal pocket. Metronidazole was released from the NCHGs within 12 h, but chlorhexidine showed a much longer elution time with strong pH dependence, which lasted more than 7 days as it was corroborated by the bactericidal effect. The biocompatibility of the NCHGs was proven by Alamar-blue test and the effectiveness of drug release in the acidic medium was also demonstrated. This fast photo-polymerizable NCHG can help to establish a locally applicable combined drug delivery system which can be loaded with the required amount of medicines and can reduce the side effects of the systemic use of drugs that have to be used in high doses to reach an ideal concentration locally.

Small Extracellular Vesicles Laden Oxygen-Releasing Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Enhanced Antibacterial Therapy against Anaerobe-Induced Periodontitis Alveolar Bone Defect

“…Hydrogels with multifunction are considered to be an alternative material for treating periodontitis due to their semisolid nature and easy adherence to dental pocket, especially hydrogels with antibacterial and bioactive characteristics . In some studies, hydrogels loaded with antibiotic active substances were easily injected into deep periodontal pockets, which have achieved a certain degree of success. − However, the problem of reduced effectiveness due to bacterial resistance caused by the overuse of antibiotics should not be ignored. It is urgent to develop new alternative strategies.…”

Rational Design of Bioactive Hydrogels toward Periodontal Delivery: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Applications

“…Meanwhile, preclinical studies also explored hydrogel systems for sustained delivery of CHX for periodontitis treatment. [58,61,105,128] For example, Tong et al developed a curdlan/ polydopamine composite hydrogel to release CHX controlled by NIR light. [58] The hydrogel holds potential for periodontal application as the optimized bacteriostatic rate reached 99.9%.…”

Advances in antimicrobial hydrogels for dental tissue engineering: regenerative strategies for endodontics and periodontics

“…In another multi-strategical research, metronidazole-loaded methacrylated-poly-γ-glutamic acid hydrogels containing chlorhexidine-loaded methacrylated-poly-γ-glutamic acid nanoparticles were developed as pH-responsive drug delivery platforms for periodontitis therapies. 128 Metronidazole was a well-known antibiotic used for the treatment of periodontal infections while chlorhexidine was an antiseptic used as a gold standard to test newly developed drugs and drug delivery systems. The dual release of metronidazole from the hydrogels and chlorhexidine from the nanoparticles within the hydrogels exerted antimicrobial action against Escherichia coli on agar plates.…”