A self-powered and thermally-responsive drug delivery system based on conducting polymers

• Published in: Electrochemistry communications Vol. 12; no. 8; pp. 1087 - 1090
• Main Authors: Ge, Dongtao, Qi, Rucai, Mu, Jing, Ru, Xiaoning, Hong, Shimin, Ji, Shan, Linkov, Vladimir, Shi, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.08.2010; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Conducting polymers; Diseases of the osteoarticular system. Orthopedic treatment; Drug delivery; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polypyrrole; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Temperature-triggered; Conducting polymers; Drug delivery; Temperature-triggered; Polypyrrole; Delivery system; Pharmaceutical technology; Control release polymer; Body temperature; Temperature effect; Drug carrier; Transition metal; Lactic acid polymer; Orthopedics; Titanium; Biocompatibility; Active ingredient; Release; Pyrrole polymer; Room temperature
• ISSN: 1388-2481; 1873-1902
• DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2010.05.035

A simple self-powered drug delivery system was developed based on the galvanic cell mechanism, involving the direct deposition of a drug-contained polypyrrole (PPy) film on the one side of a titanium foil. After covering the other side with a eicosane-poly( l-lactide) (PLLA) blend film, it is interesting to observe that massive drug release only occurred when the release medium was heated to the body temperature. The methyltetrazolium (MTT) assay indicated that the system had good biocompatibility. Since titanium is one of the most commonly used load-bearing implant materials, it is expected that the present drug delivery system can find applications in titanium-related orthopaedic fields.