Enhancing blood circulation time and performance of nano-drug delivery systems using nanoparticles and hydrogels
Kruk, Jakub
Kruk, Jakub
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Publication Date
2024-01-26
Type
Thesis
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Abstract
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and hydrogels are some of the most sought-after methods of nano-drug delivery systems. Properties such as high biocompatibility, selectivity and loading capacity are among the many reasons as to the myriad of research performed using them as nano-drug delivery systems in addition to the increasing demand for more effective and safer treatments of cancer and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this project is to enhance blood circulation to improve the delivery of nano-drug systems, with the desired result being the development of more effective, ergonomic, and safer anti-cancer drugs replacing cisplatin as the standard chemotherapy treatment, with great emphasis on the carriers of the drugs; mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and hydrogels. The MSNs, although synthesized, successfully aminofunctionalised and separated from their template (CTAB), and coated with gelatin, were only partially crosslinked with aldehyde groups, meaning that reliable pH-responsive surface linkers for targeting tumour cells were incomplete. Hydrogels were later synthesised as alternative drug delivery systems for anti cancer drugs: chitosan was initially used as the primary polymer and β-glycerophosphate as the crosslinking agent, but were generally irreversible: once solidified at physiological temperature (37 °C), they did not reliquefy. They released drugs at quicker rates than allowed for sustained release. Pluronic F-127-based hydrogels were reversible, solidifying at physiological temperature and reliquefying at room temperature, but had a relatively short shelf life, as they decomposed in the presence of water after 3 days at physiological temperature.
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NUI Galway