We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Nanoparticle-Based Hydrogel Liquefies Under Pressure for Delivery by Syringe

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 04 Mar 2015
Print article
Image: Scanning electron microscopy images, taken at different magnifications, show the structure of new hydrogels made of nanoparticles interacting with long polymer chains. (Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Image: Scanning electron microscopy images, taken at different magnifications, show the structure of new hydrogels made of nanoparticles interacting with long polymer chains. (Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
A hydrogel that liquefies under pressure but reforms as a gel when the pressure is released has been recruited as a delivery system for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic anticancer agents.

Investigators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, USA) created the hydrogel by mixing PEG-PLA (polyethylene glycol- polymerized lactic acid) nanoparticles with polymeric cellulose. Each polymer chain formed weak bonds with a number of nanoparticles, producing a loosely woven lattice of polymers and nanoparticles. As each attachment point was fairly weak, the bonds disassociated under the mechanical stress of being injected through a syringe. Once the shear forces had abated, the polymers and nanoparticles formed new attachments with different partners, returning the conglomerate to the gel form.

The composition of the gel allowed it to be loaded simultaneously with two different types of drugs. The PEG-PLA nanoparticles had an inner core capable of carrying small-molecule hydrophobic drugs, which include many chemotherapy agents. At the same time, the cellulose polymer, which existed in aqueous solution, could transport hydrophilic molecules such as proteins, including antibodies and growth factors.

A detailed description of the hydrogel as well as results of an in vivo experiment in which gels injected under the skin of mice survived and successfully released two drugs—one hydrophobic and one hydrophilic—over a period of several days, was published in the February 19, 2015, online edition of the journal Nature Communications.

“We are working with really simple materials,” said contributing author Dr. Mark Tibbitt, a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “They do not require any advanced chemical functionalization. Now you have a gel that can change shape when you apply stress to it, and then, importantly, it can re-heal when you relax those forces. That allows you to squeeze it through a syringe or a needle and get it into the body without surgery.”

Related Links:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Gold Member
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Flu Test
ID NOW Influenza A & B 2
New
Automated Nucleic Acid Extractor
eLab

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The bowel cancer breakthrough could result in better treatment outcomes (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New RNA Molecules Can Help Predict Bowel Cancer Return Recurrence

Colorectal cancer accounts for 10% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide and was ranked as the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States in 2022. Currently, clinicians face diagnostic... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: QScout CBC will give a complete blood count in 2 minutes from fingerstick or venous blood (Photo courtesy of Ad Astra Diagnostics)

Next Gen CBC and Sepsis Diagnostic System Targets Faster, Earlier, Easier Results

Every hour is critical in protecting patients from infections, yet there are currently limited tools to assist in early diagnosis before patients reach a hospital. The complete blood count (CBC) is a common... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The InfectoSynovia test has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

High-Accuracy Bedside Test to Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Five Minutes

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) represents a significant global issue that is worsening as the number of joint replacements increases due to aging populations. In the United States alone, the anticipated... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image

AI-Based Method Shows Promise for Pathological Diagnosis of Hereditary Kidney Diseases

Alport syndrome is a hereditary kidney disorder characterized by kidney dysfunction, sensorineural hearing loss, and ocular abnormalities. Early in the disease, patients experience hematuria, which is... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.