Thermoresponsive sustainable release of anticancer drugs using cyto-compatible pyrenylated hydrogel as vehicle

Pyrene-based fluorogenic amphiphilic probe (1) has been synthesized, which can form a thixotropic (injectable) hydrogel in the aqueous medium. The biocompatible hydrogel, so formed, is involved in the thermoresponsive, sustainable delivery of two anticancer drugs, Doxorubicin (DOX) and Mitoxantrone (MT). A substantial difference in the extent of drug release is noticed at 25 and 37 °C, even at physiological pH. The cumulative releases of ~80% and ~70% for DOX and MT, respectively, from the drug-loaded hydrogel samples, are observed for 72 h. In both cases, drug molecule release follows zero-order kinetics and non-Fickian diffusion pathways. The excellent stability of 1 against proteinase enzyme suggests that the present system can be used for sustainable, targeted release of drug molecules under in-vivo conditions. As expected, DOX-loaded hydrogels kill cancer cells more efficiently than the free drug (i.e., DOX).

Graphical abstract

A pyrene-based amphiphilic probe has been synthesized, which can form a thixotropic hydrogel in the aqueous medium. The biocompatible hydrogel was involved in the thermoresponsive, sustainable delivery of two anticancer drugs, Doxorubicin (DOX) and Mitoxantrone (MT). Moreover, the DOX-loaded hydrogel could kill cancer cells more efficiently than the free drug.