Issue 16, 2022

Next generation strategy for tuning the thermoresponsive properties of micellar and hydrogel drug delivery vehicles using ionic liquids

Abstract

Amongst the greatest challenges in developing injectable controlled thermoresponsive micellar and hydrogel drug delivery vehicles include tuning the cloud point (CP) and reducing the gelation temperature (Tgel), below 37 °C, without compromising stability and solubility. Here, a unique strategy is employed using ionic liquid (IL) matrices to produce stable micellar and hydrogel delivery vehicles of distinct thermoresponsive properties. Each formulation includes the in-house synthesised polymer OEGMA30020-b-BuMA22-b-DEGMA11 with FITC-IgG. Both micellar-IL and hydrogel-IL formulations exhibit enhanced stability following 120 days of storage under 4 °C compared to in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Visual tests demonstrate that the CP of the micellar-IL carriers can be finely tuned (31–46 °C). Rheology measurements show that hydrogel strength is significantly increased and Tgel is reduced from 40 °C in PBS to 30 °C with IL. Finally, a unique stabilisation mechanism is proposed, triggered by the synergetic action of the excipients and IL in each system.

Graphical abstract: Next generation strategy for tuning the thermoresponsive properties of micellar and hydrogel drug delivery vehicles using ionic liquids

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 yan 2022
Accepted
16 mar 2022
First published
25 mar 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 2340-2350

Next generation strategy for tuning the thermoresponsive properties of micellar and hydrogel drug delivery vehicles using ionic liquids

T. A. Shmool, A. P. Constantinou, A. Jirkas, C. Zhao, T. K. Georgiou and J. P. Hallett, Polym. Chem., 2022, 13, 2340 DOI: 10.1039/D2PY00053A

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