2026
Temperature-Responsive PNIPAM-g-alginate Gel Wrapped with LbL Assembled Chitosan/DNA Membranes for Development of Controlled Drug Release System

Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Exhibit Hall H (San Diego Convention Center)
Y. Zhang, M. A. Arugula, L. Zhou, and A. Simonian (Auburn University)
While considerable consumers experience a more-than-recommended-dose usage of commercially available scar cream for scar therapy treatment, we report here a novel and smart thermally controlled drug delivery gel patch system for scar therapy purpose. The gel patch contains a core of amine-terminated-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NH2-PNIPAM) grafted alginate wrapped with outer membranes consisting of layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled Chitosan and DNA thin films. NH2-PNIPAM cross-linked onto side chain of alginate exhibits contraction and expansion above and below its Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST: 32℃) and therefore serves as a switch turning “on and off” the release of drug entrapped in the core. The difference in the release of Texas-Red conjugated Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF-TR) at 33℃ and 22℃ were monitored with fluorescence microscopy and the system showed higher release of EGF-TR at 33℃ than at 22 ◦C. Below LCST (at 22℃), the expanded NH2-PNIPAM resembles stretched arms that close the release of EGF-TR, while above LCST (at 33℃), the NH2-PNIPAM arms coil and allow the release of EGF-TR. The outer membranes consisting of optimized seven oppositely charged Chitosan and DNA layers via LbL assembly controlled the rate and profile of EGF-TR release, as well as dramatically reduced the burst effect in the delivery process. A diffusion controlled behavior was observed for the proposed system and a mathematic model to predict the diffusion efficient of EGF from such gel patch system was further established.