Nanohydrogels are materials that are used to make everyday items such as contact lenses or diapers, acting as a moisture control function. However, technologists at the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) in Mexico have developed a new technology based on thermosensitive nanoparticles (nanohydrogels) that they plan to use in the biomedical field as an alternative to achieve controlled release of anti-cancer drugs.
Eduardo Mendizabal Mijares, professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Guadalajara, said the research team used drug-filled nanohydrogels and injected them into patients. Due to the physical and chemical properties of human hydrogels, the immune system does not detect and does not attack the drug during its movement through the bloodstream, i.e. they are compatible with the human body.
The idea of scientists is as follows: the drug, enclosed in a hydrogel, is transferred directly to the cancer cells, where it is released without damaging the rest of the body, since hydrogels provide the ability to dose a large amount of active substances in the right place and can be administered dry and swollen in various ways : oral, intranasal, buccal, rectal, intradermal, vaginal, ocular or parenteral.
Drug release may be due to volume expansion, changes in acidity or temperature.
In their new development, the scientists also incorporated magnetic nanoparticles into hydrogel nanopolymers to create a force field to raise the temperature needed to kill cancer cells.
The research was aimed at developing heat-sensitive nanohydrogels, in which, through polymerization technology, scientists combined substances with different chemical and physical characteristics, which led to a chemical reaction and the formation of a series of small spheres – polymers.
Nanohydrogels have shown very good biocompatibility characteristics with the human body due to their physical properties that make them similar to living tissues, especially due to their high water content, soft and elastic consistency, and low interfacial tension, which prevents them from absorbing proteins from human body fluids.
The development of such materials has made it possible to absorb large amounts of water without losing shape, as well as retain heat at a temperature of approximately 37 – 42 degrees Celsius. By combining emulsion polymerization and microemulsion, scientists have been able to synthesize structured hydrogels that have better mechanical properties than conventional hydrogels.
Such materials are used primarily in biomedical applications for diagnostic purposes in membranes, coatings, microcapsules, short-term and long-term implants, and controlled drug release systems. Nanohydrogels are also used for tissue regeneration or fracture healing as a medium for cell growth.
The novelty of this work is that nanohydrogels can attack cancer cells or tissues without damaging healthy parts of the body.
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