Design and In vitro analysis of polyethylene glycol based multidrug delivery systems for combination therapy in the treatment of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Polymer hydrogels are known to be excellent drug delivery biomaterials for unconventional cancer therapy. The polymer hydrogel was prepared via the free-radical polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) in the presence of poly ethylene glycol (PEG), gum acacia and N-isopropylamide. Swelling analysis at different pHs (1.2, 5.8 and 7.4) were performed on the hydrogels in order to determine the swelling capacity of the polymer hydrogel and characterization was done by using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hydrogels were loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and curcumin (CUR) drugs which have been identified as anti-proliferation agents and this was done individually and in combination. The successful incorporation of these drugs onto the polymeric network of the gel was confirmed and drug-polymer interaction observed with various characterization techniques employed as exemplified in the spectra data and images obtained. Results from the drug release studies which were intended to mimic the gastrointestinal tract, tumor cells and blood reveal a successful release of drugs from the gel at pH of 1.2, 5.8 and pH 7.4, respectively. These conforms with diffusion models such as the Korsmeyer-Peppas model, suggesting that the hydrogels are potential target materials for drug delivery systems to cancerous cells. Furthermore, cytotoxicity studies and cell viability tests were performed in order to determine the anti-cancer effects of the drugs bound to the hydrogel by treating against MCF-7 adenocarcinoma breast cancer cell lines. Results obtained showed that the growth of cells was inhibited and the hydrogel loaded with the drugs proved to be an excellent targeted drug delivery system.