Molecular-Gated Drug Delivery Systems Using Light-Triggered Hydrophobic-to-Hydrophilic Switches

Mozhdeh Ghani, Arto Heiskanen, Peter Thomsen, Martin Alm, Jenny Emnéus*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

A photoresponsive molecular-gated drug delivery system (DDS) based on silicone-hydrogel (poly(HEMA-co-PEGMEA)) interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) functionalized with carboxylated spiropyran (SPCOOH) was designed and demonstrated as an on-demand DDS. The triggered-release mechanism relies on controlling the wetting behavior of the surface by light, exploiting different hydrophobicities between the “closed” and “open” isomers of spiropyran as a photoswitchable molecular gate on the surface of IPN (SP-photogated IPN). Light-triggered release of doxycycline (DOX) as a model drug indicated that the spiropyran (SP) molecules provide a hydrophobic layer around the drug carrier and have a good gate-closing efficiency for IPNs with 20–30% hydrogel content. Upon UV light irradiation, SP converts into an open hydrophilic merocyanine state, which triggers the release of DOX. These results were compared with a previously developed SP-bulk modified IPN using the same hydrogel as a control, proving the efficiency of the gated IPN system. The covalent attachment of SPCOOH to the alcohol groups of the hydrogel and the structural change caused by UV light was indicated with FTIR analysis. XPS results also confirm the presence of SP by indicating the atomic percentage of nitrogen with respect to the hydrogel content.
Original languageEnglish
JournalACS Applied Bio Materials
Volume4
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)1624-1631
Number of pages8
ISSN2576-6422
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Keywords

  • Spiropyran
  • IPN
  • Molecular switch
  • Light-triggered release
  • Hydrophobicity switch

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