Open AccessControlled Bioactive Delivery Using Degradable Electroactive Polymers
Author(s) -
Mark Ashton,
Patricia A. Cooper,
Sofía Municoy,
Martín Federico Desimone,
David Cheneler,
Steven D. Shnyder,
John G. Hardy
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
biomacromolecules
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.689
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1526-4602
pISSN - 1525-7797
DOI - 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00516
Subject(s) - chemistry , drug delivery , polymer , controlled release , in vivo , in vitro , nanotechnology , electroactive polymers , polycaprolactone , hemin , combinatorial chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , heme , enzyme
Biomaterials capable of precisely controlling the delivery of agrochemicals/biologics/drugs/fragrances have significant markets in the agriscience/healthcare industries. Here, we report the development of degradable electroactive polymers and their application for the controlled delivery of a clinically relevant drug (the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone phosphate, DMP). Electroactive copolymers composed of blocks of polycaprolactone (PCL) and naturally occurring electroactive pyrrole oligomers (e.g., bilirubin, biliverdin, and hemin) were prepared and solution-processed to produce films (optionally doped with DMP). A combination of in silico/in vitro/in vivo studies demonstrated the cytocompatibility of the polymers. The release of DMP in response to the application of an electrical stimulus was observed to be enhanced by ca. 10-30% relative to the passive release from nonstimulated samples in vitro. Such stimuli-responsive biomaterials have the potential for integration devices capable of delivering a variety of molecules for technical/medical applications.