Synthesis, characterization and hyperthermia studies of thermosensitive hydrogels associated with magnetic nanoemulsions
Abstract
Targeted drug delivery is of great importance in cancer treatment and has become the
interest of many scientists worldwide. Targeted drug delivery renders local treatment of
cancerous cells possible without affecting healthy cells. Hydrogels are promising materials to be
used in targeted drug delivery systems due to their biocompatible nature and injectable behavior
whereby they can be used to load drugs. However, considering that not all the drugs are water
soluble, entrapment of some drugs in hydrogels is not practical in terms of poor drug solubility
and burst drug release. An oil phase can be considered as a drug-carrying agent, and entrapment
of this oil phase into the hydrogel would make it possible for the in-situ injection of a dissolved
drug into the oil phase. Moreover, incorporation of hydrogels with magnetic nanoparticles can
create a double effect, making hyperthermia treatment possible and also controlling the flow of
magnetic nanoparticles out of the concerned region using a hydrogel matrix.
In this study, oil-in-water (O/W)-type nanoemulsions were prepared using a combination
of black seed oil (which is known to cause apoptosis via a p-53 dependent mechanism), water,
and Triton X-100 and Span-80 surfactants. Three different oil percentages and three different
surfactant percentages were tested, and the stability behavior of these nanoemulsions were
investigated and compared. Dynamic light scattering analysis and zeta potential measurements
were conducted for determining particles sizes and surface charges of the nanoemulsions. The
most stable nanoemulsion with the smallest diameter and lowest polydispersity index (PDI) was
used in the synthesis of nanoparticle-added magnetic nanoemulsion hydrogels (MNHs) for the
hyperthermia study. Results have indicated that time, concentration, and magnetic field strength
(MFS) can significantly affect the heating ability of the samples, which can be promising
candidates for further hyperthermia studies
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering