Near-Infrared Light-, Magneto-, and pH-Responsive GO–Fe₃O₄/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/alginate Nanocomposite Hydrogel Microcapsules for Controlled Drug Release

Abstract

Responsive hydrogels have found widespread applications in biomedical science and engineering fields, especially for drug delivery. Despite the superior performance of responsive hydrogels, challenges still exist in drug-delivery efficiency when environmental stimuli are weak. Recently, the demand in the design of hydrogel-based drug delivery systems has stimulated considerable interest in the search for new strategies, for instance, the application of nanocomposite hydrogels for reinforcing the versatility and flexibility in controlled drug delivery. In this study, a novel and effective nanocomposite hydrogel microcapsule drug delivery system, which is composed of poly­(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and alginate interpenetrating polymer and GO–Fe3O4 nanomaterials, is developed to achieve NIR light-, magneto-, and pH-responsive drug release. The GO–Fe3O4 nanomaterials embedded in the interpenetrating polymer enable the PNIPAM hydrogel deswelling by raising temperature above the lower critical solution temperature under NIR light and alternating magnetic field, thus accelerating the release of doxorubicin. In addition, the introduction of alginate into PNIPAM hydrogels endows nanocomposite hydrogels (NCHs) with quick gelation property, enhanced mechanical property, and pH-responsive performance. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay confirmed that the NCH platform can effectively kill the cancer cells. This novel multiresponsive drug delivery system holds great promise for the treatment of diseases.

Contact‐Free Remote Manipulation of Hydrogel Properties Using Light‐Triggerable Nanoparticles: A Materials Science Perspective for Biomedical Applications

“…As such, these nanocomposite polymeric materials have drawn much attention in recent years. [ 120 ] In this perspective, we have discussed the different fundamental mechanisms by which light can activate NPs. These NPs can then be embedded within hydrogel matrices to modify the functionality of the polymer and provide superior bioactivities.…”

“…The NPs, incorporated within these hydrogels, can effectively control the behavior of the polymeric materials by making them responsive to light sources of different wavelengths. [119][120][121] One major application of these nanocomposite hydrogels involves the manipulation of cell functions to treat potentially fatal diseases. Carrow et al used 2D molybdenum disulfide nanosheets to control the fate of human stem cells using NIR light irradiation.…”

Single and Multiple Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Particles for Controlled Drug Delivery

“…Incorporation of magnetic particles Iron nanoparticles [29,30] Shear stress Flexible particles, generally hydrogels ADEN/THYM polymersomes Adenine/thymine functionalized block co polymers [31] 2.1. Internal Stimuli…”

“…Several studies have combined metallic nanoparticles with polymers for this purpose. The use of a polymer helps with the compatibility of the particles, can incorporate an active target, and increase the circulation time [29,30,[98][99][100]. However, the magnetic properties of these systems is achieved by the metallic nanoparticles, such as iron as was used in the studies by Cao et al [29] and García-García et al [30] They both used polymers as a coating on the iron nanoparticles to achieve better biocompatibility and targeting.…”

Simple Formation of Cancer Drug-Containing Self-Assembled Hydrogels with Temperature and pH-Responsive Release

“…Supramolecular interaction is a weaker interaction compared with covalent bonding, but has the advantage of allowing for free control of the bond, and has been applied in fields of biotechnology such as healthcare, , tissue engineering, and cancer therapy. − Gel-type materials formed by self-assembly are referred to as supramolecular gels and are composed of a large amount of solvent. Supramolecular gels in water are powerful drug carriers that could act as hosts for active pharmaceutical agents. − , These gels typically form in aqueous solutions, which minimizes the risk of drug denaturation and aggregation upon exposure to organic solvents. Although some design requirements are common to all hydrogel delivery systems, others are specific to the desired therapeutic application, which is why gel-type materials are being developed as drug carriers.…”